Trapped: The 18th Hunger Games-SYOT-Closed
by SilverflowerXRavenpaw
Summary: My first SYOT! Gather around a submit a tribute! T because the Hunger Games. Closed, but you can still read
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! I've been writing stories in order to work my way up to an SYOT. I think I'm a good enough writer to try one now, so here I go.

First of all, I want to say, I will try to write your tribute well. If I mess up, please tell me. Over PM or review I don't care; I want to do what you want for your character. Having a character get destroyed must be awful, so I don't want to mess up.

Second, I'll try and take a lot of things into account for Victor. First off, the obvious strength and such. That does matter, and it would matter in the Games. However, popularity will also be a factor. It may not be the deciding item, but I don't want to give you a Victor everyone hates. Smarts will matter too, since brute strength/speed isn't everything. I will, however, try to keep the Victor somewhat realistic. That twelve-year-old kid from 12 who's starving will probably die.

I'm going to straight out say, a very Careery Career is less likely to win. I don't like them, I don't want them to win. They'll last a while, being a Career, but if they're too mean I will kill them.

I'll probably write Districts as they fill, so they could very well be in an odd order. Also, this being an SYOT, the first few chapters could take a while to go up, since I need other people to send things in. But after the Reapings, I can go at a better pace.

Here's my form:

 **Name:** If you only have a first name, it'll do. I might fill in the last name if you don't, but they might not get one

Age:

 **District:** You can list more than one if you like, in order of priority. That way, it your slot is taken, you still get a District you want

 **Appearance:** It can be a blurb or a paragraph, I don't care. There's a decent chance I'll hardly describe them. Fair warning.

 **Personality:** This can also be a sentence or a three-page essay. I'll try to write it well.

 **Backstory:** I ask for a bit of info, but you don't need tons. Two or three sentences would be great, but if you give me less I'll fill it in.

Reaped/Volunteered:

Reaction/Reason:

 **Reaping Scene:** Reapings can get boring. If you don't want your tribute's first POV to be a Reaping, send in what you do want here.

 **Family:** You can say everything about each member, or just names and positions.

 **Token:** It's optional, and I might not mention it, but if you don't put it in you almost certainly won't get one

 **Reaping Outfit:** You don't have to fill this in. If you don't, it's automatically a T-Shirt and jeans.

 **Parade Outfit:** Please list some idea. If you need I'll fill it in, but it will probably be stupid and crummy.

 **Interview Outfit:** If you don't fill this one in, I will, but it'll be lame. Like a white dress.

 **Interview Angle:** Please be creative. Not everyone is nice and innocent. I'll accept it, but it's way more fun to read someone who tries to be a clown

 **Games Plan:** Everyone running and hiding makes it boring. I'll take it, but I'll probably pick people off with mutts if that happens.

 **Strengths:** I don't care how many you have, but try not to be too crazy. That thirteen-year-old from 11 is not going to be buff and know how to use every weapon. Also, don't overlook simple things like being small so she can hide.

 **Weaknesses:** You can have many or few, I don't mind. If you do stupid things like "He's too perfect!" I will have him spend so long trying to be perfect that he starves. Other than that, I try not to be too harsh.

 **Where they go in the Training Center:** They can go as many places as you want, but the more places they go the less they know about each thing.

What they show the Gamemakers:

 **Training Score:** I take what's given to me. It doesn't really matter anyways, since you're the sponsors.

 **Capitol Scenes:** No guarantee that it'll get written, but it might.

 **Other:** Are they allergic to bananas? Do they like persian cats more than sphynxes? Does the color yellow disgust them? This is where you can put random stuff like that. Again, it might not get written, but it might.

 **Preferred Death:** The odds are your tribute won't win. This is pretty much a consolation prize if they don't.

Bloodbath Plan:

 **Will they die in the Bloodbath?:** Let's face it, some tributes have to die in the Bloodbath. If I don't get enough Bloodbaths, I'll choose some random ones.

 **Predicted Placement:** It might not matter, but if you expect your tribute to get 13th, they're less likely to win.

 **Allying or No:** If you want them to ally, you'll need to get both parties' permission.

 **Fight or Flight Instinct:** Will they run from confrontation, or face it head on?


	2. Sponsoring

Here's my sponsoring system. It's pretty simple.

You get ten points for each tribute you have in the Games. You can spend the points on any tribute, except ones that are dead.

If all of you tributes die, you get thirty extra points to spend on whoever you want.

I'll try to keep track of points, but you probably should, too.

Really, I don't know very many ways to get more points. One way is giving me a good way to provide more points. I don't want to use commenting/following/favoriting, because I don't want to fish for those things. However, giving me constructive criticism will get you a point, and reminding me about a tribute I've forgotten about will get you a point.

Food varies depending on how much you want. One meal costs one point. One meal a day will keep your tribute from dying of hunger, but if it's all they get they will grow weaker. A feast will cost three points, and will last four days. You can send whatever you want for food, even sending a feast for the cost of a meal. Your tribute gets the amound of food for points you spend, not what you specify.

Weapons vary as well. A sharp stick costs two points. A bow and arrow with a dozen arrows costs ten points. Really, for weapons, just ask me about what the price would be and we can negotiate, even if we're discussing a sharp stick or a bow and arrow.

Survival gear is pretty cheap. The Gamemakers don't want boring things, they want the battles to be intense. A box of matches costs one point. An electric tent still costs ten points, even when it has been cheapened.

Notes are free. They can say a lot, but they can't be too straightforward. "Don't eat those berries, they'll kill you," or "Hey, there's a mutt in that cave," won't be accepted. But "Be wary of the red orb," or "Watch your step! You don't know what you'll find in the shadows," and encrypted things like that will be.

Useless stuff costs one point for however much you want to send. If you categorize your sendings as useless, I will make sure they are. If you send them a feast in the "useless" category, someone will steal it. If you send them a pillow, it'll make them happier, but it'll a pillow. It's useless, as the name would say. This is for things like tissues, or nail polish.

 **Note:** If you make your tribute someone who makes everything a weapon, I will allow useless things to be somewhat useful. It will have to seem useless, like nail polish, but they could chuck the bottle at someone's face, or smash it to make a weapon. You can't tell me what you want them to do with it, however, unless you want it classified as a weapon.

Pooling points with other people is fine. If you want to spend one hundred points on a tribute by working with everybody, go right ahead.


	3. List

**Here's the list:**

D1F: Glacine Rockridge, 17 (almost 18) (BakaranDaReader)- Allying with Careers

D1M: Minos Vella, 17 (CarlPoppaLOL)- Allying with Careers

D2F: Dove Sybilla, 17- Allying with Smudge and Evie

D2M: Ambrose Caraway, 18 (EverLastingImpression)- Allying with Careers

D3F: Norah Mendell, 16 (tracelynn)- Not Allying

D3M: Faris Nye, 14 (tracelynn)- Allying with Magpie, Redd, and Andres

D4F: Serena "Siren" Hasvak, 18 (Aceswims)-Allying with Careers

D4M: Sebastian Wright, 18 (Thorn5502)-Allying with Careers

D5F: Simmons Hall, 13 (Snowstar2)- Allying with small tributes

D5M: Isaac Wyatt, 15 (NightCat)- Not Allying

D6F: Kia Steer, 13 (RedRoses1000)- Allying

D6M: Mustang Colbolt (Jayman)- N/A

D7F: Giselle Parkfields, 17 (BakaranDaReader)- Allying with someone like a sibling

D7M: Carver Redwood- Not allying

D8F: Rybbon Marbroox, 17 (MRKenn)- Allying with Sisal

D8M: Sisal Rutherford, 15 (tracelynn)- Allying with Rybbon

D9F: Hyacinth Moraain, 14 (MRKenn)- Not allying

D9M: Andres Patino, 15 (unicorntopiapoop)- Allying with Faris, Magpie, Redd, and anyone who wants her

D10F: Evie Sage, 14 (NightCat)- Allying with Dove and Smudge

D10M: Nebojsa Imanzi, 18 (tracelynn)-Allying with an older tribute

D11F: Magpie Orchard (Snowstar2)- Allying Faris, Andres, Redd, and anyone who wants her

D11M: Redd Santorini, 12 (tracelynn)- Allying with Faris, Andres, and Magpie

D12F: Smudge Kells, 12 (LadyCordeliaStuart)- Allying with Dove and Evie

D12M: Leonardo Hill, 12 (littlehalfpint)- Not allying


	4. District 12 Reapings

**Leonardo Hill (12) 12 Male**

I sat comfortably on the train. I knew that we would be going soon, as the Reapings were over and we had to go to the Capitol as soon as possible. We wouldn't want to keep the Capitolites waiting, after all.

As I sat, I thought about the Reaping and the aftermath. I knew that I had responded well to being Reaped. On the inside, I was calculating my every move. I was doing so before I was Reaped, but the calculations just continued. However, on the outside, I looked pure but sad. I could even view the tapes and see that I had done what I had wanted to perfectly.

Of course, I shouldn't have been Reaped. I was the mayor's son, so I never took any tesserae. And I was too beautiful to go to the Games. With my blonde hair and blue eyes, I usually got whatever I wanted. However, I didn't mind going to the Games. It was my chance to shine.

The goodbyes were a normal thing. My dad seemed mad that I had been Reaped, but he also seemed confident in me. Why shouldn't he be? I was one of the best people in Twelve, and I had the best training anyone could hope for. He didn't even bother giving me a token, since he knew I didn't need one.

My tutor, Liam, was a bit different. He had clung to me and begged me to come back. He made it seem like he wanted a friend, but I knew the real reason. He just wanted to keep his job. The entire scene was just him playing with my emotions like he told me to do.

I couldn't see anyone else until the train left, so I just planned some more. I knew I could win. It's not like it could be hard.

* * *

 **Smudge Kells (12) 12 Female**

I sat with my friends and begged. It was a simple task, just a way to stay alive. I looked so weak that it wasn't hard to gain pity. With my rags and my bare feet, it was apparent that I was poor. Everyone else was, though, so that hardly mattered. What really put them off was my appearance.

I was skin and bones. I could hardly stand up with my lack of food. My eyes were sunken and my teeth were crooked, and I was covered in filth. It was a bad place to be, but at least it got me some pity. Not much food, but some.

I stared at people longily as they walked by. I put out my hands weakly, trying to beg. "Food, please? Maybe food?" I didn't have the biggest vocabularly, being poor and not being in school. All I could say were some basic things and a lot of slang that the passerbys wouldn't understand. "Food please?"

Nobody was giving me anything, so I crawled my way over to a dumpster. It was the bakery dumpster, one of the best ones in town. I figured there wouldn't be anything in it. People were always raiding it since it had bread. But, to my surprise, there was a small chunk of bread in it.

I tore in. I grabbed onto the bread and hid myself a little, and then started stuffing my face. I growled sligtly as I ate, hoping to scare away any other kids. They could dumpster dive too, but this bread was mine.

The bells started ringing, and I stood up. I stumbled over to get my finger pricked. Hardly any blood came out. I could use some more water. The Peacekeeper had to prick me twice. Finally, I was let in.

The escort walked up onto the stage. I didn't know her name, but it was something long and boring. Bella something. She was wearing a black dress like she did last year. First she called out the boy, who was Leonardo Hill. Then she called the girl.

"And our female tribute is Smudge Kells!" As I walked up to the stage, some people gasped. I wasn't the only starving person here, but I was certainly pitiful when I was standing next to the smug male tribute. I could see Bella-whoever-she-is looking at me with pity.

I didn't even mind going to the Games. I was used to fighting other kids for food. Now I would be doing the same thing with a different name. At least the Capitol would have a lot of food. I could eat so much food there.

When I was sitting in the waiting room, I thought no one would come. Why would anyone come? I was no one. But the escort walked in and just said "Sorry."

I shrugged. "I am fine."

"Here, you can have this." She handed me a cute little ring, with a blue stone and I smiled. Blue was the best color.

"Thank you." Then she left. She seemed all right. At least she wouldn't try to take my food.

* * *

 **So, here's my first Reaping chapter. Sorry that Leonardo's was so short, but his creator requested his first scene to be a train ride. I'm going to have a chapter dedicated to that, so he got this blurb.**


	5. District 8 Reapings

**Rybbon Marboox (17) District 8 Female**

I walked into the living room as confidently as I could. It was the beginning of a month, and I had just received my paycheck. I had gotten a promotion that month, and so I hoped my father would finally be proud of me. It took me a long time to get my confidence up, but I finally presented him with it. "Here, it's this month's wages," I said as I handed it to him.

He looked at it for a while, and then looked up. "You're smiling for _this?_ You're as worthless as I thought you were. A boy could've made twice this much! Too bad you're a failure."

I wanted to scream. I had worked hard this month, and had gotten a much higher pay than usual. "At least I try! I even made almost twice as month as last month, so it should even out!" I yelled as I ran into my room. I had to calm down and get ready for the Reaping.

You see, my parents wanted a boy. I could see why, since they did make more money. Of course, it wasn't like we needed it. We were pretty well off, and we never went hungry. That was more than a lot of people from Eight could say. I tried my best to do what they wanted. Apparently boys were loyal, which I tried to be. I looked out for everyone, which could really classify me as loyal or unloyal. I guess it depending on how you looked at it.

I tried to push aside the fiasco as I got ready. I had been saving one of my most beautiful outfits all month for today, the Reaping. It was a beautiful bright blue dress, with pale blue shoes for contrast. I even had a white ribbon to put in my hair, which I thought was just the bee's knees. I thought that the blue would go well with my wild red hair and freckles, which popped out so much against my pale skin.

Then I had to go to the Reaping. I could see why people thought the Reaping was sad, since sometimes people died. But it was also wonderful! We got out of work early, and we got an excuse to dress up. And Hyacinth Cane, the escort, was always dressed up so extravagantly. This year she was wearing a cute patchwork dress, with all sorts of colors and textiles. I was glad we had one of the more fashionable escorts.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Reaping for the 18th Annual Hunger Games!" her voice boomed from the stage. "Before we begin, let's watch the amazing video the Capitol has provided for us!"

I sighed. The video was a bit boring, since it was the same thing every year. I tried to spot something new, to keep myself interested. This year I noticed one lady who ran out of a building unscathed. I was surprised that she wasn't harmed. Suddenly, the video was over.

"And now, let's choose our tributes! The male tribute is... Sisal Rutherford!" I gasped. I knew Sisal a little bit, and he didn't have a chance. He started shaking, and I almost cried. His name shouldn't have even been in the bowl.

What happened next made my almost-tears turn into full-blown sobs. "And our female tribute is Rybbon Marbroox!" I tried to think of the good things, like pretty dresses and cool food. It worked a little bit, but I still cried as I walked up to the stage. I just weakly grabbed Sisal's hand and raised it above my head. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford (15) District 8 Male**

I started walking to school like any other day. It was a nice, sunny day, and I could hear the birds chirping. District Eight could be a pretty good place to live at times. I watched my feet as soon as I entered town, trying to avoid any flashing lights. I wasn't likely to come by any, but I had in the past. Flashing lights were the worst.

I kept going on my normal route when something when wrong. One moment I was walking, and the next, I was shaking on the ground. I tried my best to control myself, not wanting to get injured, but I could feel the damage happening. I must've hurt myself on the way down, because I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in a whole new world. It took me a moment to adjust, but I slowly realized that I was in the hospital again. My parents weren't waiting by my side like they sometimes did, so either they were working or it wasn't serious. Judging by the lack of technology hooked up to me, I thought it was safe to assume I wasn't in too much danger.

I looked up and noticed Rybbon waiting at the entrance to my room. I smiled and greeted her. "Hey there, Rybbon. How are you?"

She waved. "Pretty good. You weren't at school today, so I was worried. Are you all right?"

I looked around at the room and said, "Your guess is as good as mine. It seems like it's not too bad, seeing as I don't have many machines attached to me. My head doesn't hurt much, either, so I probably don't have a concussion."

"Oh, that's great! I would've worried about you," she said as she walked into the room. She settled herself down on my bed. "Are you ready for the Reaping tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "Is anyone really ever ready? I'm sure I'll be fine, but I'd rather just not go. It's long and boring."

Rybbon just grinned. "But we get to see Hyacinth ad her pretty outfit! And we get out of school early! And we get an excuse to socialize and dress up!"

I nodded. "I can't say those aren't true. I am looking forward to trying out my new tux. It'll be so great!"

Rybbon looked over her shoulder. "Well, I should probably be going. My family will wonder where I am. Glad to hear you're all right!"

"Thanks for visiting. See you tomorrow," I finished the conversation as Rybbon left the room. I laid my head down on my pillow and thought about the Reaping. I would probably be safe, but it was never a guarantee. And what would I do if I was Reaped? Winning certainly wouldn't be easy. I finally decided just to not face my fears and go to sleep instead, which was much easier.

I woke up to my dad poking me and telling me to get ready for the Reaping. I managed to sleep a whole day, and somehow get moved from the hospital to our house. It was probably my dad's doing; he was the strongest one in the house. He was also the most caring about my disease and the one that wanted me to do the least walking, since I could hurt myself.

I changed into a maroon polo and some khakis. It wasn't the tux I had promised Rybbon, but it was something. The dark fabric looked good against my brown hair and eyes, but I thought the khaki clashed a bit with my tan skin. I quickly decided that that didn't matter, seeing as it was likely nobody would notice or care what I was wearing. Either I got Reaped or I didn't; the District didn't care about my fashion either way.

I got to the Reaping and had to go to the same old, boring, classic propaganda. It was always the same thing about how great the Capitol was and how evil the Districs were. I didn't mind it too much, since the war parts were cool, but it took a long time and I quickly found myself uneasy. I turned to the boy beside me. "Wanna hear a joke about cats?"

He shook his head, but seemed interested. I took that as a clear offer to continue. "Never mind, I'm just kitten," I finished. The boy snickered and turned to the boy next to him. Instead of the video, I got to watch a whole line of boys telling each other my joke. It was epic.

Finally, Hyacinth started calling the names. She started with the men and, of all people, chose me. I started shaking like a leaf, but I had no idea why. I wasn't having a seizure, I was just shaking. I tried to think about how I could win, how I could get sponsors. It was possible if I tried. Rybbon got called too, and she started crying. I squeezed her hand as we held hands and tried to be encouraging. Rybbon didn't deserve to go into the Games.

In the waiting room, I was greeted by my father and mother at the same time. They looked at me with tears in their eyes, and my father spoke. "Sisal, you can do this. You have to try," he said as he handed me a book. "It's your old favorite, about a kid getting over a brain problem. You can get over yours."

My mother gave me a big hug. "You're gonna come back, I know it. I believe in you."

I figured they were lying, but I didn't care. I could always try. "Thanks, mom and dad. I love you."

They left the room when the Peacekeepers called, and I was quickly brought onto the train. I sat there and tried to plan while I waited for the train to leave. I could probably manage. How hard could the Hunger Games be?

* * *

 **As you could probably guess, Sisal has epilepsy. I tried to write it well, so please rest assured that anything I get wrong is a mistake and not m hating.**


	6. District 10 Reapings

**Nebojsa "Neb" Imazi (18) D10M**

As I walked into the office, I took a deep breath. My mom had said that she had to tell me something. I figured it was probably something bad; I had done a touchy job yesterday and was unsure of how well I had done. But when I walked into the room, my parents seemed ecstatic. I could only imagine what was running through their heads as I sat down and asked, "What is it?"

My mom was smiling from ear to ear as she replied, "You did a great job yesterday, like you always do, and we think you're ready to work on your own. You always work so hard, and we think you're completely capable. Do you want to try something today?"

I could hardly process the question asked after "you're ready to work on your own." I had expected something awful, but instead I got _this!_ "Of course I want to try," I replied after I finished understanding the question. "What do we have today?"

"Well, not much, actually. We're thinking that Mr. Johnson might come in here with his horse for a check-up; she's very pregnant."

I nodded. "I think I'd be able to handle that. It's nothing too hard, and it's pretty simple." I would probably find a check-up easy, since I had so much information on the subject. I owned my own horse, and my parents generally left me to myself to keep her in good health. Of course, they answered questions when I needed them to, so my knowledge on horses was getting pretty expansive.

I waited around in the lobby for a while why my parents did some basic things, like removing thorns from paws or simple cleanings. Usually we would be more busy, since we were the best veterinarians in town. People all over the District knew about us and how well we could take care of animals. Finally, Mr. Johnson called. "Hey, Imazis? Can you come check up on my horse? She's been lying down a lot, and I'm a bit worried about her. Wouldn't want the babies to get hurt."

"Sure, I'll be right there," I said as I hung up the phone. I grabbed some basic things, like a stethoscope and gloves, as well as some supplies for helping a birthing. I didn't think I would have to worry about that yet, but I couldn't be too safe. After all, Mr. Johnson was right. We wouldn't want the babies to be injured.

I ran all the way to the Johnson residence, wanting to hold true to my promise of being right there. Mr. Johnson ran out to meet me and pulled me into his barn. "There she is. She's been lying down all day."

I nodded and got straight to work. "Has she been eating all right? Breathing? Has she stepped on anything lately?"

"She's been eating fine and getting plenty of water. She's been breathing fine, from what I can tell. You're trained, you're supposed to know. And no, she's hardly moved for the past couple of days. Just a bit of walking around the barn."

"All right, I'll check her out to find out what's wrong." I sat down and started rubbing her sides, feeling for anything wrong. I listened to her breathing, and it was fine. She was letting my touch all of her feet and legs, so I was certain they weren't the problem. Her heart was beating just fine, so the situation was puzzling me. Suddenly, she convulsed.

Crud. She was giving birth. I hadn't done that yet with my horse, and although my parents taught me about it I wasn't sure I was ready. I couldn't call anyone, since they were too far away. I was going to have to do this on my own, with a bit of help from the pretty much useless Mr. Johnson. "Shhhh, you're gonna be ok," I whispered to the horse. "Mr. Johnson, would you hand me my bag?"

Mr. Johnson grunted and tossed me my bag, which I quickly went through to grab some soap. I started washing the horse and her udders. I started petting her sides again, trying to soothe her. I moved her tail out of the way of the birthing process and wrapped it up so it would stay away.

I could see the baby horse slowly emerging. "Mr. Johnson, get over here and pet her sides. If she starts whinnying, talk to her in a quiet tone. And watch out for her legs, she's in a lot of pain and she might start kicking." I waited for the foal to be a bit farther out and grabbed onto it to help it move.

I couldn't do much at this point, just help make sure the foal didn't land too hard or into something dirty. I cleaned up the area near the birth, knowing how important a clean place was. I kept a careful watch on the horse, making sure I was there when needed. Finally, the foal came out.

I rushed over and broke it's sac. I watched as the baby took it's first breaths and slowly got up and walked over to it's mother. The adult horse was still exhausted, but she raised her head as the baby came over and started suckling. Mr. Johnson thanked me and told me to put it on his bill, and I started walking back home. I had done my first solo job right, even though it was a bit unexpected. It gave me a large confidence boost, and I walked home with a pep in my step.

* * *

 **Evie** **Sage (14) D10F**

I had to wake up bright and early to take care of all the animals on my grandparents' farm. Although I was sometimes tired because of it, it was a task I didn't mind. I loved all of the animals here, and wanted them to be happy. I had a schedule going so I knew where I should go and when. First was the pigs.

The pigs were some of the easiest animals to feed, since they would eat almost anything. "Hey there, piggies. How are you today?" The pigs didn't say anything back, of course, but one snorted and made me laugh. "Glad to hear." I gave them their slop and petted one's back, and then proceeded to the horses.

On the way to the horses, a thought struck me. Today was Reaping day, and I was still completely eligible to go into the Games. A note of terror was put into my daily routine as I reached the stables. "Hey there, horses. You're so lucky. You only have to worry about when I'll feed you." One of our two horses flicked its ears as I gave them some hay and apples. I petted its side and then moved on to the cows.

I loved the cows. I thought cows were very cute. I could never tell anyone why, they just were. It was probably partially because they were so fuzzy. I wasn't obsessed with fuzzy things by any means, but fuzzy animals could always be assumed to be a bit cuter than non-fuzzy ones. My main problem with cows was how difficult it was to feed them.

Cows ate a lot, so it took a long time to carry all of their heavy corn and hay out to them. With each trip I took, some more dread came into my veins. I wished I could turn into a horse or a cow and get out of the Reapings forever. That would be better than going into the Games.

"Nice seeing you today, cows. Hey there, Bessie! I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow." Bessie licked her nose and then let me touch it before I ran into the house to take a shower. The Reapings were a celebration, after all, so I should look my best.

I took the longest shower I could without being late to the Reapings. I dried off quickly, since I wasted most of my time thinking in the hot water. Now that I was out of the shower I shivered slightly, and I wasn't fully certain if it was from fear or just from the cold.

I walked into my room and selected a nice denim dress from my pile of clothes. I put on some leather cowboy boots, which I thought looked nice with my brown hair. I threw on some fake gold earrings, which were my favorite pair. Lots of people said they complemented my green eyes, and I agreed. They also made a jingling noise when I shook my head or ran, which I loved.

Then I had to go to the Reaping. I ran the whole way there, as the bells had already started ringing. I got to the Reapings just before Sassafrass pulled the female name. "Evie Sage will represent District 10 in the Hunger Games this year!"

I walked up to the stage, terrified. I could hardly move my limbs, having to use a great effort just to walk up. My arms didn't move at all, and my legs seemed to be in jelly. I wanted to look confident and calm, but it wasn't going to happen. All I could do was stop myself from crying.

* * *

 **Neb is tall and muscular, with short, black, curly hair and dark brown eyes. He also has dark brown skin. Evie is of average height.**


	7. District 4 Reapings

**Serena "Siren" Hasvak (18) D4F**

I stared at the sun with the wind in my hair. Out on the sea was the best place to be. I was on my boat, where I was every morning. It was the best part of the day, where I could let my worries float away as I flew across the sea. Today was a day with a lot of worries, but here on my boat I could ignore them.

I checked the sails often, trying to be safe and not capsize. I liked to stand on the edge for the most part, watching the water beneath me or basking in the sun, but I usually chose the edge nearest the sails for safety reasons. And because then I could hear the sails flapping behind me like a giant bird.

I was often worried about capsizing, since I had once when I was little. I didn't come out of the water for a long time, and everyone took me for dead. But I was capable of holding my breath for what felt like forever, and I just swam back to shore and walked into town like nothing had happened. It was then that I had earned my nickname. I knew I could swim a long ways again, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I looked into the water to see a whole school of fish passing beneath me. Normally they would've been in danger with me around, but right now, I was just enjoying the ride. I smiled as they passed, admiring their beauty. Fish were amazing creatures, and I loved how they glimmered in the sun. I reached down and almost petted a fish; it darted away at the last second. I still got to touch its tail fleetingly, and it was lovely. It was smooth and wet.

I sighed as I turned my boat towards shore. I had to go to the Reapings today and cast my lot in the Hunger Games. Of course, I was in no danger. Today was the day I could finally volunteer and pave my way to fame. I only wished that I could sail for a while longer before I had to go. This could be the last Four sunrise I would ever see, and I wanted it to last.

I finally reached shore and wrapped up my sails. I tied my prize-winning boat in place and hauled myself onto the dock. I looked out at the sea for a bit longer, admiring the blue of the waves and how they shined in the sun. I also examined the bursts of color in the sky from the rising sun before finally turning and walking towards my home.

My house wasn't a large distance from the beach, so it didn't take me long to reach it. I hopped into the shower and quickly washed off, wanting to look my nicest for the big day. If I didn't win, I could at least be known as one of the best-looking tributes. It wasn't much of a consolation prize, but it was better than nothing.

I selected a baby blue romper from my closet, knowing that the softness of the color would contrast well with my dazzling green eyes, and I put my blonde hair into a braid. My shoes were nothing too spectacular, just some comfortable beige boots. I figured nobody would be looking at my feet.

As I walked to the Reaping, I reminded my brother, Marlin, to grab my sail for me. I had forgotten to get it myself, and wanted it as my token. I hoped to make it into a headband to wear into the Games. Marlin was old enough to not go to the Reaping; he was only walking me because I wanted him to. Once I asked him for my sail, however, he left to grab it, leaving me alone to prepare to volunteer. I wasn't sure if I should act confident and proud or just seem friendly. I quickly decided on confident and proud, since then more people would admire me. Today was most certainly my day.

* * *

 **Sebastian Wright (18) D4M**

I looked for my tux for a period of probably five minutes before checking the wash. It was in there, spinning slowly. I didn't have time for it to finish. Realistically I did, seeing as I was already planning on leaving very early and I was ahead of my schedule. But in my mind, that would take way too long and be way too boring, so I decided just to throw on a T-shirt and jeans.

As I got dressed for the Reaping, I considered my father's words. He thought for sure I was going to be a Victor, and I agreed wholeheartedly. He had given me some advice that apparently couldn't fit into the goodbye period after I volunteered. I was deciding how to use it. It was something about not always having to be a leader, and how I was bad at reading people, whatever that meant. I had this in the bag, I didn't need any more advice.

As I was heading to the Reaping, some little punk ran into me. I glared at him and he stared up at me apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mind to!" he squeaked. "You're the next Victor, right?"

I grinned. Everyone here knew that I was going to be the Victor of the next Hunger Games, even this little pipsqueak. "Of course I am. Run along to the Reapings." Sometimes I would've punched people for running into me, but I was in a good mood today. After all, I was about to volunteer.

I didn't have to wait in line at all to get my finger pricked, since I was the first one there. I lurked around the town square, wandering from section to section of the roping. Normally I would've found this boring and left, but today I knew I wanted the best possible spot during the Reaping, so I would have to control myself and be here early.

Latisha Armoire, out escort, stood on the stage eagerly. Of course she was happy, she usually got victors. She was wearing a giant fish outfit, which looked idiotic on her. I wish she could've just chosen a fisherman outfit. Then she wouldn't be an embarrassment to stand next to.

I hopped into my spot as people starting milling in. Most of the people here weren't worried about anything, since there were always volunteers. The biggest worry was that the volunteer might hate them and not volunteer, but that didn't usually happen. All of the people around me were careful not to disturb me, probably wanting me to be at my best for volunteering.

Latisha excitedly called out, "Hello everyone, and welcome to the Reapings for the 18th Annual Hunger Games! Before we begin, let's watch this wonderful video the Capitol has provided for us!"

Groans came from all of the sections. None of us wanted to see the video, we just wanted to cheer on the next Victor. But every year we were forced to watch the war video and learn about how great the Capitol was, which although I didn't disagree with I still found boring. Cheers came from the crowd as the video finally ended.

"And now, the female tribute representing the District this year will be... Tilapia Mahi!"

"I volunteer!" Sirena Hasvak's voice rang across the town square. "I'm Serena Hasvak, and I'm proud to represent the District this year!"

Latisha seemed surprised. What was wrong with her? We always have a volunteer. "Oh how lovely, best of luck in your Games! Our male tribute will be... Bonito Fisherman!"

"I volunteer!" I shouted with my hand raised. I made my way to the platform and waited as Latisha asked me what my name was. "I'm Sebastian Wright, the future Victor of the Hunger Games!"

Cheers rang from the crowd. "Serena! Sebastian! Serena! Sebastian!" This was wonderful.


	8. District 11 Reapings

**Magpie Orchard (15) D11F**

"Hey, Jessie, do you wanna play a board game?"

"Go away Magpie!"

"Hey Emily, wanna play a board game?"

"Leave me alone!" I sighed. Nobody liked playing games with me. I don't get why they don't like me. I try to be nice and I try to be friendly, but everybody just wants me to leave. No matter how hard I work to being a good friend, nobody wants anything to do with me. My mom says it's because of the Games, and everyone else is grumpy, but I think most people are just rude.

Today was the Reaping, which could explain why some people were irritable. But the Reaping didn't mean we couldn't have _fun_ , especially with the school day ending way earlier than it had to. I guess they might think I was immature, but board games were for people of all ages. Of course, these were Capitol approved things, so I couldn't play the Monopoly game my mother occasionally mentioned, but they were still fun.

I sighed as I started getting dressed. I just had a normal T-shirt and some jeans to put on, but at least the blue fabric would look nice against my green eyes. Of course, that would only matter in the worst case scenario, if I was Reaped. I could ony hope that that wouldn't happen. The Hunger Games stank.

I slowly started walking to the Reaping when I saw Mrs. Larson walking down the road. She was probably headed to the Reapings, too. I started walking over to her, hoping for a good conversation. She didn't shy away from me, which was nice. She probably liked me since I did random things for her, like sewing patches on jeans or moving stuff around her house. She was getting old and I could use some extra money, so I liked to help out. "Hi, Mrs. Larson! Isn't it a lovely day? Except the Reaping, of course. But the sun is shining!"

Mrs. Larson smiled at me. "That it is. By the way, if you don't get Reaped, could you help me with my garden today? The potatoes need picking and the tomatoes need watering, and I'm getting too old to bend down and water them."

I nodded. "Of course! I'm always happy to help out. Gotta go get checked in, bye!" I separated from her and got my finger pricked for the Reaping. I took my place between the ropes while Saffron Peep took the stage. She was wearing a dress made of leaves, which was one of her more normal costumes. One year she dressed up as a worm in an apple, which put everybody off a bit.

She didn't even say anything as she put on the video, just starting it up and staring at it. Everybody in the square watched and pretended to be interested for the sake of their head. I stared at it in wonder, amazed at how the Capitol could manage to make something like that. How did they show a video? The technology amazed me.

The video ended and Saffron cheerily walked over to the bowl. "The female representing our District this year will be Magpie Orchard!"

I managed not to scream as I slowly walked to stage. The odds of me being Reaped were slim, but it had managed to happen. I knew I had no choice but to face it head-on and do my best, but I also knew I probably wouldn't win. One of my greatest hopes was sponsors, so I put on a brave face as the male was called and the Reapings ended.

* * *

 **Redd Santorini (12) D11M**

"Hey, watch this!" I cried to to Alyca. She looked at me with her big, expectant eyes, and I put an apple on my nose. Technically, I wasn't supposed to risk destroying food. We could starve and all that. But I wasn't going to hurt the apple; I knew how to balance it. And Alyca would probably be interested, so it was educational.

"Whoa! How do you _do_ that?" She asked, standing up. "Is it magic?"

I grinned. Alyca thought I knew everything. It wasn't hard, since I knew a bit about a lot of things. I tried to sit down and study something once, but I quickly got bored and had to stop. I kept switching from book to book within the library, and the librarian yelled at me for being "too loud" and "disturbing the people," whatever that meant. She just didn't want me to have fun.

"Well, you put the apple on the tip of your nose, like this," I said, as I demonstrated. "And then to walk around as it shifts to catch it. It's nice, because you don't have to stand still or just twiddle your thumbs. And it looks pretty cool."

Randall just laughed. "It's not _that_ great. I mean, anyone can do it with practice. _I_ can do it!"

"Of course you can, you're twelve!" Alyca squeaked.

"But can you do this?" I asked as I balanced the apple on my nose again. I walked in a circle with it and then bounced it off my nose, catching on my nose, and repeating the process. Even Randall seemed a bit impressed with that, and my grin switched to a smile. I often got ignored at home, so I liked it when Randall and Alyca were impressed with me.

"Or this?" I did a handstand and put the apple on my feet, hopping it from foot to foot. The apple was getting pretty destroyed, but I didn't notice it at the time. Randall watched but didn't seem to interested, until he picked another apple and threw it t me. I caught that one on my foot, too, and started juggling it.

Randall sighed. "You just won't give up, will you?" he asked with a chuckle. I slowly stood up, kicking the apples towards Alyca.

"Of course not, I need to be amazing," I replied with feigned smugness.

Randall had his own reply. He tackled me down to the ground, and we started rolling around. It wasn't the first time we had wrestled, and while he usually won, it was still fun. Alyca had to dart around to get out of the way while we both fought to get on top. Randall almost had me pinned when his weight lifted off me. "Back to work," a manager barked. "Or I'll report you."

Both of us instantly got up. "Sorry sir!" Randall seemed truly apologetic, but I was just annoyed. Adults were such party poopers. It wasn't like I even picked much fruit when I was working anyways. I knew I was supposed to, but it was so boring! It was more fun just to see how high I could climb or throw the apples at people, so that was what I usually ended up doing.

I sighed as I finally got to leave the orchard. Even though it was a short day, it was far too long. I knew that I should be happy that the Reaping day wasn't every day, but the short day was a lifesaver. I was already bored out of my mind, and while I didn't want to get reaped, I was willing to face it to get out of work. If I went I could still have fun in the Capitol, so I knew I could deal with it. It would be the thrill of my life.

* * *

 **So, Magpie's owner requested not to have a Reaping scene, and I think I finally figured out why. With that, I decided to point out that I try to give every tribute a Reaping scene, every tribute a train ride, every tribute an interview, etc. etc. Just a piece of information so you know your tribute isn't gone until the Games/you request a Reaping scene you actually want.**


	9. District 7 Reapings

**Giselle Parkfields (17) D7F**

"I'm home, Mason and Chloe! Let's get ready for the Reapings!" I called out as I entered our small home. Our home was nothing too tiny, but it wasn't large at all, which proved troublesome when there were six people living in it. I didn't mind too much, since it only meant some small things, like sharing a bedroom with all of my siblings.

However, sharing a bedroom could make things easier. I could dress Mason and Chloe up for the Reapings without having to run around like a madman, which I had to imagine my mother doing when it was just me and my older sister, Hazel. Hazel was probably really well behaved when she was younger, though. She was perfect.

As I started walking to our room, I was attacked by my siblings. They clutched around me and started hugging me, nearly pulling me to the ground. I didn't know how such old children could be so immature. By the time I was Chloe's age, I had learned to be calm and composed whenever necessary. I guess Mom and Dad had decided that that wasn't needed anymore.

"All right, all right, calm down you two! We have to get ready. I would love to play, but we have to get dressed! The Reapings are today!" I called out, trying to get them off of me. I probably could've just shoved them off, but I wouldn't want to upset them. They let out defiant noises at the command, but complied, leaving me to help them dress.

"All right, Chloe, what do you want to wear today?" She pointed at one of her oldest, most worn-out outfits. It was a hand-me-down from me, so I knew why she chose it, but I couldn't let her go to the Reaping in that. The Capitol citizens would hate her. However, I knew that Chloe wouldn't just settle, so I sighed and pulled her over to my pile of clothing. "How about you wear one of my dresses?"

Chloe's eyes widened at the offer. "Really?" I nodded, and she started looking through my dresses. I guided her to my shortest one, since the two that were long on me would be far too long for her. She chose the medium dress that I had been planning on choosing, but I shrugged it off. It just meant one less dress for me to have to choose from, leaving me with only two other options.

I started brushing her hair, and just as I put it into a ponytail I heard Mason digging through his small pile of clothes. "No, no, no, no, NO!" He was throwing all of his outfits across the room, rejecting them. I got Chloe off my lap and turned to him, looking at all the possible combinations.  
"How about... this shirt," I held up a plaid T-shirt, "And these pants," I said as I held up a pair of khakis. He sighed and agreed, and started putting them on.

Then I started choosing between my dresses. I settled on my knee-length white dress, knowing that it would look nice on a day like today. I pulled some of my long, black hair into a braid and let the rest hang loose. Then I grabbed onto Chloe and Mason's hands and let the to the Reaping.

 _At the Reaping..._

All of the girls shuddered as Winnifred started pulling out the female slip. "And our female tribute this year will be Giselle Parkfields!" I put on my best poker face and walked to the stage. I didn't want to seem too confident, like I might threaten the Careers, but if I looked weak I could scare away sponsors. So I did my best to look nonchalant as I started planning for what could be the last thing I ever did.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood**

I hefted my axe, slowly deciding which tree would fall next. Slinging my axe over my shoulder as I walked, I picked out a big, thick, oak. I knew that their wood was good for burning, and they could sell for a lot without too much effort on my part. I also wanted to see this tree fall, since it was just sitting there so smugly with its leaves rustling in the wind. The other trees had leaves too, of course, but this one caught my interest.

As I swung my axe, I thought about my father. My no good, son of a gun, jerky father. I thought about how much he had hurt me; how he had caught me off from the world. I had had to build walls to protect myself. Now that he was gone forever, it was time for the walls to fall. Chopping down trees was therapeutic, in a weird sort of way.

The tree slowly started to tip, and I imagined it as one of my mental walls falling. I kept hacking and the tree kept falling, and my imagined wall kept crumbling more and more. Chopping down trees was wonderful. I knew I would soon run out of trunk to cut through on this tree, so I started looking for the next one.

I was one of the lucky people in 7, since I was paid to cut down trees, not gather them. I could cut down a tree and leave it behind, simply moving on to the next one. It meant I could spend more time cutting down my anger, so I loved it. I chose another oak to cut down, and started swinging. I imagined my next wall, which was one of my final ones. I knew what it looked like when I put it up, so I knew how hard it would be to tear it down.

The tree started falling, and I tried to imagine the wall falling, too. But it wouldn't. No matter how hard I tried to force my imaginary wall to fall, it couldn't. I started swinging my axe more harshly as my annoyance grew. I didn't want to keep myself hidden anymore. I wanted to finally be able to go out in the world and do things. But my own brain betrayed me.

The tree fell and I had to rush to get out of the way. I looked over at the sky as the whistle for the day to end was blown. I made marks on the trees surrounding mine to make a path for the collectors, and starting heading home to get cleaned up. I would have to have a long talk with my mother tonight.

Goodbyes...

My mother walked into the goodbye room with Danny. Danny was crying. I bent down and sat him on my lap. "Calm down, Danny. I'm gonna be all right. I can fight! I can cut down trees, I'm pretty confident I can take on the Games," I lied. I did have a chance, but it wasn't much of one.

Mom walked over to us and sat down. "I'll do everything I can to sponsor you. Don't let the Careers see your axe skills, they'll take any available axes just so you can't have them."

I nodded. "Mom, I need to tell you something."

Her stature changed slightly, and her eyes softened. "What is it?"

"Today, when I was cutting down trees, I got really mad. I couldn't force myself to open up, you know? I do the wall thing, and this wall in my mind just wouldn't crumble no matter what I did, and I started swinging my axe like a maniac to force it to."

She gripped my hand. "It's fine. Everybody gets mad sometimes. Just, try not to hold an axe while you do it next time, ok? And you don't have to tell me everything, you know. I'm sure you'll turn out to be a nice man."

"Ok, mom." I pushed Danny off of my lap and stood Tara, my mother, up. "Can I have a hug?"

She started crying and nodded. We both opened our arms and pulled each other in. I don't know who was hugging tighter; her or me. Which is definitely saying something, because not many people can hug as tightly as a mom in distress.

The Peacekeeper called for her to leave, and we slowly untangled. Tara tossed me her wedding ring as she left, and I got the message. I had to come back, for my family. Mom couldn't support herself and Danny without me cutting trees. I had to find a way to win this.


	10. District 9 Reapings

**Hyacinth Moraain (14) D9F**

"Well _I_ was Mom's favorite!"

"No, everybody knew that she loved me the most because I was the prettiest!"

I sighed. My sisters were fighting, like they always did. At times like this I just wanted to duck away and hide in my room. I didn't like all the yelling and loud noise, and it made my ears ring. I would rather eat a rat than sit in a room with two arguing sisters, and I suddenly realized that I didn't have to sit with them.

Getting up and leaving, I made my way to our dumpster. Our family owned a spice shop, so we had enough money that our dumpster had some food in it. One of the District kids had realized it, and she kept stealing food from it. I didn't mind, since she and I talked sometimes. She was calm and quiet, probably mostly because if she yelled at me I could take her food. I tried to let her know that I wasn't going to hurt her, but I didn't think she really believed me.

I lurked by the dumpster for a long time, just waiting for Marley to show up. On some days she wouldn't come, for no apparent reason. I hoped she would come soon, since my sisters were still screaming at each other and the Reapings were about to begin. Finally, she showed up, cautiously peeking around the corner of our shop.

"Hi, Marley," I whispered, hoping not to spook her. I made my way around the dumpster, also slowly. Marley was flighty, and I didn't want her to think I was going to hurt her.

Marley didn't seem very spooked today, so I was happy. "Hi, Hyacinth. Do you mind if I take some food?"

I shrugged. "Go right ahead. My sisters are being weird and dieting, so we're throwing away more than usual."

She lit up and ran to the dumpster, opening it up and tearing through the bags. I happened to know where most of the food would go, so I directed her to a bag which had a couple of donuts in them. I had bought the donuts, hoping they would make a nice treat, but my sisters took one look and them and chucked them in the trash. "Can I talk with you for a while? My sisters are fighting again."

She nodded, her mouth full of donut. "Are you worried for the Reapings today?" She nodded again. "So am I. I know we're not likely to get Reaped, being young and all, but it's still scary." She nodded again. I picked up one of the less trashy donuts and started eating it. Just eating with a friend was much more calming than being inside right now.

Suddenly, the bells started ringing, causing both of us to jump. Marley shoved the rest of her second donut into her mouth and ran off, while I just threw mine back in the trash and walked inside. "It's time for the Reapings, sisters!"

They finally stopped screaming and turned to me. They exchanged glances and nodded. "All right, Hyacinth, let's get you dressed up," Cardamon said, pulling me over to our bed. I sat down while they chose my outfit. I could do it myself these days, but they liked to, so I let them.

Cecily stood over my pile of clothes while Cardamon kneeled beside it. They looked through my small selection and chose a pale purple dress and lavender shoes. I knew that I would be adding my own touch later, since I always wore a flower in my hair when I was going to a Reaping, but I let them have their fun thinking they had chosen my entire outfit.

I got up and ran to the Reaping, not wanting to be late. I was about to have one of the best three days of my life, or be shoved towards my worst ones. I noticed Marley in her section and I waved. She was a bit younger than me, so we were seperate, but at least I had someone to smile with until my world crumbled.

* * *

 **Andres Patino (15) D9M**

I slowly made my way to the fields, hoping to be able to have some fun along the way. I had gotten up early, as always, and so had my friends, as always, so we could take a while getting there. I turned to Andrew with my giveaway smile. "Hey Andrew?"

He looked at me suspiciously. "What?"

"What did the grape say when it was crushed?"

He sighed. "I don't know, what?"

"Nothing, it just let out a little whine!" Andrew did not seem impressed, but everybody else seemed to like my pun. Alice laughed a little, and quiet Johnathan smiled. "Why can't you stay in the fields very long?"

Alice rushed to ask, "I don't know, why?"

"Because the grain will think _you're a stalker,"_ I whispered for effect. Even Andrew laughed that time, and he had a higher level of intellect than I did.

I smiled as I reached the fields, ready for another long day of work. Today would be a shorter day than normal, with the Reaping, but I would still work my hardest. I wanted to make a lot of money for my family, and I really didn't want the Peacekeepers to yell at me. They had a lot in the past, and apparently it had "helped me mature." Honestly, I did _seem_ more mature, but I was still pretty childish when I found it possible.

I started picking the grain, still laughing to myself at my "stalker" pun. That was a good one. I would have to remember it to tell other people. I tensed up slightly as a Peacekeeper walked by, speeding up my picking speed. Peacekeepers were harsh when they chose to be, and I didn't want to anger anyone.

The Peacekeeper stayed just long enough to see mee drop a bundle of grain. I hurriedly rushed to pick it up, brushing it off and putting it on the pile. I returned to picking anxiously, waiting for what he would say. To my relief, he just walked by, leaving me to myself.

The day was sweltering, but I didn't mind. With any luck, that would just make the flowers bloom more brightly. My arms were getting sore, but that just meant I had been working hard and could make a good pay. The day was almost done, and then I could go home and calm down after the Reaping.

 _At the Goodbyes..._

I hugged my mother tightly, not wanting to ever have to let go. My stepfather had come too, and I looked him in the eye. "Dad, you need to get a job. I know it will be hard, but you have to try. Mom can't work and I'll be gone, so you have to. You got that?"

My dad didn't say anything for a while, just looking sad. Finally, he said, "I'll try." I took it, since it was the best I could get. I turned to each of my siblings.

"Gabriella, Savannah, Amy, Morgan, Marcus, you have to help out too, ok?" I said, trying not to seem worried. My heart was pounding, but I didn't want my little brother and sisters to see. "You can't work in the fields, since you're too young, but you can help out the richer kids and you can do small things for the Peacekeepers. You've gotta do your best, ok?"

Morgan burst into tears and hugged me. "Goodbye, Andres!" Soon all of the kids were crying, even Marcus, and I was pulled into a tight hug. I hugged them back, not knowing what to say.

"I'll try to come back. I love you all." And with that, the Peacekeeper rushed them away, and I was alone.

* * *

 **Sorry for the choppy day to goodbye thing, but the owner asked for a goodbye and Reaping scenes are long and boring, so I just hopped over.**

 **Andres is short and has dark, tanned skin and black hair. He is scrawny.**

 **Hyacinth is Asian and has dark hair in a spiky bob. She has bright grey eyes.**


	11. District 2 Reapings

**Dove Sybilla (17) D2F**

I got up bright and early and ran to the Academy. I had to get some last-minute training in before the Reapings today, and I figured I may as well get as much as possible. I already had my entire planned out, from volunteering to talking to my mentor, who would hopefully be Shale. I heard she was the most useful of the District Two Victors.

Once I reached the Academy, I quickly changed and walked into the Training room. I picked up a bunch of throwing knoves from the weapon table, looking around to ensure I was alone. My parents didn't know I was volunteering, especially not this year, and I wanted to keep it that way.

After I was assured that I was by myself, I started throwing knives at some dummies we had. I wished I could attack a moving target, since my targets wouldn't be standing still for me, unless I could successfully sneak up on them. Then I realize that I could make myself a moving thrower to increase the difficulty.

Much to my delight, I still hit the target most of the time. I had only been training for one year, ever since my brother and sister were Reaped the previous year. It had been an unlikely turn of events: two young people from the same family had been Reaped. Of course, they had both died, and it was time for me to avenge them. I could never forgive the Capitol for what they did, and I hoped that if I won, I would show them that our family hadn't been beaten.

I played with spears for a little bit before realizing that I still wasn't very good at them, so I switched to practicing my running. I had been breathing through straws lately to make it easier for my to go without much air, hoping to increase my running ability a little bit. I had been running daily too, of course, and now it was time to see how well it had paid off.

After turning on the timer, I started running across the track, first trying out my sprints and then my long distance. I ran and ran for what seemed like forever, until my legs burned and my throat was raw. I looked at how long each run had taken me, excited to see that I had beaten my previous record. I had already planned on volunteering, and with today's success, it may as well have been written in stone.

I walked home, regretting running for so long. It hurt just to make the short walk to my home, but I had to deal with it. I opened the door and walked straight into the bathroom, turning on the shower. I wandered off to gather some clothes and a towel, and then started washing off.

I stayed in the shower for a while, massaging my scalp as I washed my hair. Then I got out and started dressing up for the biggest day of my life. I had selected a purple romper with some gold coloring, hoping the gold would bring out my green eyes. I also chose some brown combat boots to wear. Then I ran off to the Reapings, ready to show the world the power of the Sybilla family.

When I got to the Reaping, Caveadus Sconce was just walking onto the stage. She reached into the female bowl to call out a name, but I quickly shot up my hand. "I volunteer!" I walked up to the stage with my head held high. "I'm Dove Sybilla, and I'm the next Victor for District Two!" I announced brightly. There was no going back now. I was in the Hunger Games.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway**

The overhang of a cliff was the best place to be. I could see parts of the forest spreading out for miles, and I could hear the birds singing. I always loved the beauties of nature, and right here was the best place to see it. I had a big day tomorrow, but for today, I just wanted to enjoy the scenery and draw.

I sat down with my dog, Phoenix, and opened up my art book. Phoenix got in the way for a while, and I played with him, but I wanted him to calm down. "Come on, Phoenix, I want to draw! Let me just relax for a while, ok buddy?" I knew that he couldn't understand me, but I was happy when he sat down and let me start working in my sketchbook.

I slowly looked through my old drawings, the ones of my mother and of my cousins. My mother was supposed to be a Victor, but she had trained wrong and been paralyzed. I always felt bad for her, since she was the black sheep of the family. First of all, she had had me out of wedlock. Then she had tried to train to make her family proud, but she did it by herself and broke her spine. Then Alana had managed to make her daughter a Victor, and my mom became a nobody, even in her own family.

I flipped the page, trying to calm down a little bit. My mom wanted me to win so she could finally make her parents proud. I knew I had to try my best, but I also knew it would be hard. I was just a kid, I didn't want to volunteer to kill people. But I would rather risk my life than risk making my mother unhappy.

The next page had a picture of Cousin Shale on it. It wasn't the best drawing in the world, but I could tell what it was. I had never talked too much with Cousin Shale, always being a bit put off by her. I was never sure if I should idolize her, since she was a Victor, or hate her, since she made my mother sad. I always had a weird mixture of both, but I still hoped she would be useful when I went into the Games.

Then I flipped to a page with Marble on it. Marble was the prettiest, most popular girl in school, and I had a huge crush on her. Of course, she wasn't interested in me. I was a nobody and she was the girl everybody wanted. That was another reason for me to go into the Games. Maybe if I won she would like me.

I looked at some of the pictures I had drawn of me winning the Games and somehow felt that they were in poor taste. I had fantasized about killing a bunch of people to make my mother happy and get a girl. Of course, if I went in, I would have to try to win. I could hardly be expected just to lay down and die. But I still felt a bit bad about it.

I finally reached the end of my pictures and started drawing. I looked out at the forest, trying to find the one place where there was a waterfall. It was one of the places in the District I thought was the most beautiful, and I wanted to be able to have it with me in the Games. I slowly started drawing it, struggling to see it in what was now moonlight. I had to work for a long time to capture it, and I still knew it wasn't perfect. I wasn't that great of an artist, and water was hard to draw. But I knew my picture was good enough to remind me of my home.

Sighing, I got up and started to go home. I called Phoenix over to me and slowly started getting down from my spot. I stared at it for a long time, knowing I would likely never come back to it. It was a sad thought, but it was one I would have to face. I walked back to it and felt the cool surface of the rock for a while, and listened to the birds for a bit longer. Then I finally started home again. I knew my mom was going to yell at me for my lack of training today, but I could deal with it. Today was worth it.


	12. District 1 Reapings

**Minos Vellas (17) D1M**

"Good morning, students!" I greeted everyone once they had walked into the room. It was one of the few days of the year when I wasn't training, and I had decided to put it to good use. There were a lot of young students this year with a lot of potential, and I had decided to help them be the best they could.

I walked over to a row of weapons, gesturing at all of them. "I'm sure many of you have a weapon of choice by now. If you don't, I'll try to help you find one." Of course, almost all of them did. Some of them had been training here for a long time. "Remember to be careful when training. You're trying to learn and be your best, not get yourself killed by swinging a sword the wrong way."

All of the students nodded. Some of them clearly hadn't been listening, and I made a mental note to watch them later on. Although it would be their own fault if they got injured, I was supposed to be responsible and make sure nobody died.

I noticed a couple of students lurking by the weapons section much longer than the rest, and I walked over to them. "What's going on? Can't make a choice?"

One of them, a twelve-year-old girl, nodded with wide eyes. Then I noticed the other students at the rack sneering and miming throwing things at her. I turned to one of them and grabbed his wrist, yanking the weapon from his grip. "You're hear to learn," I chided, "not get yourself killed by swinging a sword in the wrong direction." It wasn't a direct quote from my previous statement, but it was pretty good. It was certainly enough for the student to take my threat seriously and trot off with his weapon.

The girl still seemed scared, and I turned to her. "Is this your first year?"

"Yeah," she replied, looking at the floor.

"Do you want to be a volunteer?" I asked. If she didn't, I could hurt her odds severely.

"No. My parents are making me."

I nodded. "Well, then, let's see if I can be of use. The weapons that are the least useful are the stick, as you can see here," I gestured to a short stick. I didn't know why we even had a stick of that length; at least make it long. I would have to find out sometime. "Or you can choose a wooden ball," I pointed to a pile of random items that were stacked on a table. They were supposed to be used to teach you that anything was a weapon, but with proper wording, I could make it seem useless.

The girl nodded and ran off, picking up the ball and throwing it at the wall. I left her to herself; she would never have to worry about the Games if she didn't receive any training. I was getting ready to walk away when I heard an awful clatter and a screech.

I turned to where the noise was coming from and saw a kid that had managed to knock over the weapons on the far side of the room. He was bleeding but he obviously wasn't going to die. He looked like he was near tears, and I walked up to him. "What happened?"

He looked up at me bashfully. "Well, John said that I couldn't knock over the rack by pulling on it, and I said 'Can too!" and he said 'Can not!" and it went a while and then I did and I think I'm dying."

I sighed at his worry. He was an idiot, and I hoped he would never go into the Games. I would've left him on his own and let him feel the consequences of his actions if it wouldn't have gotten me kicked out of teaching. As much as I thought that fools should feel the fruit of their actions, I valued my job as a teached highly and wasn't about to lose it. "Come on, let's go."

He cringed. "It hurts!"

Sighing again, I bent over and picked him up. He seemed to like being carried, so I slung him over me shoulder like a fire-fighter. Nobody liked being carried like that. He settled down and I carried him over to the medicine room. I had children to supervise, so I just dropped him and let the nurse care for him.

When I got back to the room, I was delighted to see all of the students doing what they were supposed to be doing. All of them except that girl, who was still throwing her ball at a wall. I noticed some children sparring with rubber weapons and one of my pupils was throwing a knife with good aim. Nothing seemed to be going wrong, so I picked up a spear and started practicing with it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a mouse that had found its way into the room. What caught my attention more was the swarm of kids around it. One of them was poking it with his kniife, and I dropped my spear and ran over. "Stop that and get back to training!"

Some of the kids were spooked when they saw me running and they scattered. However, the main antagonist just looked up at me spitefully and asked, "Or what?"

All I could do was glare at him. We weren't sparring, so hitting him in any way was strictly forbidden. I walked over to the mouse and picked it up, still glaring at the boy. I slowly walked outside and deposited the mouse onto the grass, making sure it could run away safely in its slightly injured state. It could, so I went back into the Academy.

"There's a lesson that can be learned from all of this," I announced loudly. All of the trainees turned to look at me, and I continued. "As valuable as fighting is, knowing when to avoid a fight is valuable as well. A mouse like seems helpless. There was no reason to attack it, so leaving it alone would be wise. In the Games, everything will want to kill you. Get used to leaving things alone _now,_ so in the Games you won't be tempted. Don't provoke things, it's stupid." I sat down to express the end of my speech, and the kids went back to training. Honestly, I didn't care that much about what I had said. I just hoped the kids would leave more animals alone.

* * *

 **Glacine "Grace" Rockridge (17) D1F**

As I looked through my closet, I thought about the day ahead. It was going to be the biggest day of my life, whatever anybody else thought about it. In fact, it was going to be such a big day, I almost considered playing hooky and going to a party. Almost.

Today was a school day. I couldn't go to the Academy even if I wanted to, which for once, I didn't. I was excited to get to learn and do my math and talk to my friends. And talk to boys. Talking to boys was aways fun.

I selected a low-cut, tight dress from my closet. It was barely long enough that my parents would allow me to wear it, which was saying something, since my parents didn't care much. If I had wanted to be able to sit down without showing something, I would've selected a different dress. But today I wanted to have some fun.

Amelia, my sister, walked with me to school like she always did. She knew I was going to volunteer, while the rest of my family didn't. I didn't tell her; she just walked into my room, announced it, and knew she was right. It was amazing how well she could do that, and how well she was keeping it a secret. The Academy teachers would've killed me if they knew, since I wasn't the selected tribute this year. Of course, I knew I could win the Games with ease. The Academy teachers wouldn't accept that, and I had decided it was time for me to prove it myself.

When we reached school we parted ways. I met my closest friend, Kay, at the door, where she waited for me every day. We smiled and I headed to my locker while she followed. I put the combination in quickly, only grabbing my first hour stuff and a pencil. Usually I carried around many hour's folders at once, wanting to get to the next class as quickly as possible, but school could let out at any time for a Reaping.

I dropped my stuff off in the Social Studies room and walked down the halls with Kay. "Have you met Shane?"

She nodded. "He would totally fall for you in a heartbeat! Especially in that dress, where did you get it?"

"Just some clothing shop near my house. Anyways, have you seen him today? I was hoping to have some fun before the Reaping." Shane was the new kid, and he was probably one of the only people who would fall for me these days. I had a reputation with boys, and I had no intentions of losing it.

Kay's eyes lit up. "Yeah, I did! What are we gonna do today?" She looked and her pants and glared. "Just a second, I need to change."

I nodded. Kay's parents were controlling; she wasn't allowed to wear dresses outside. That didn't mean she cared, so she always changed once she reached school. I would never consider telling on her, since I thought we should totally be allowed to wear dresses.

She left the bathroom stall in a bright pink dress and squealed. "I just got this today!"

"It looks great! Shall we?"

"We shall," she consented, leading the way to Shane. We ran most of the way, which was difficult in my high heels, but once we were near him we slowed to a walk. I touched up my hair quickly, fixing my braids. My hair was far too long to be left down. It would get in the way of random things.

"Hi, you're Shane, right?" I asked in my best cutesy tone. He seemed intrigued instantly. I played with my hair a little bit and asked him, "Is anyone interested in you yet?"

He shook his head, and the girl next to him glared. "Who are you?"

"I'm Glacine, but you can call me Grace!" I said, still pretending to be innocent. I twirled just enough that my dress flared up above where my parents would ever allow, showing a bit of my panties. Kay stood beside me, mimicking me, before she winked at me and walked off.

"Well, Grace, nice to meet you," he said, still seemingly awestuck that I would talk to him. He wasn't the cutest boy that I had ever met, but he was something. "Are you all right? I think your mascara might be smudged."

I promptly put my hair in my face to cover up a nasty shiner I had gotten. "I'm fine! I _never_ wear makeup." It was true. Makeup was awful.

"You... don't?" I smiled. Men were so easily taken.

"I don't," I confirmed. "Now, I need to ask you something," I said, still twirling my hair.

"What is it?"

"Could you help me with my history test today? You're new, so you won't get in trouble for cheating." I was lying. New kids would get punished just as harshly as anyone else for cheating. I knew he wouldn't be of much help even if he didn't get caught, but I didn't need his help. I new history really well on my own, just like my other classes. I just wanted to see if he would do it.

"Of course! Can we walk to class together?" He asked as the bell rang. I nodded and took his hand as we walked towards our classroom. This was going to be interesting.

 _At the Reaping..._

I looked over at the boys section and saw Shane hanging his head in shame. He had gotten caught trying to pass me a note during the test. I figured he would be foolish enough to fall for my tricks. I looked at him and smiled, wanting him to think he was still wanted. If I couldn't volunteer in time, he could still be useful.

Lapis Rhod, our escort, walked onto the stage. She was one of the few escorts with a fashion sense. This year, she was wearing a deep blue dress with an ombre of jewels on it which got steadily lighter. She happily welcomed us to the Reapings and quickly put on the video.

I watched the video in amazement. I saw it every year, but it still awed me. The Capitol had managed to beat us, even though we fought dirty and they were nice. They had managed to win despite us having numbers because they were so much smarter. I hoped to be able to fight as well as them one day.

The video was over in what seemed like no time at all, and Lapis reached into the bowl for the female tribute's name. "I volunteer!" I called out, before she had time to say it. I ran up to the stage before the chosen volunteer had time to say anything about it. I made sure to look like I could be cruel if needed, and I tried to show some form in my run. I wanted to attract alll the sponsors I could, after all.

Lapis glared at me for volunteering before she could call the name, but I was lost in my own thoughts. _Now's your chance to be like the Capitol. Earn your life, don't have it handed to you. You got this._

* * *

 **I would like to point a couple of things out. First of all, Glaceline's creator did not name Kay, so please don't yell at her for the name. I threw it in there because she needed a friend and I thought it would be fun.**

 **Secondly, Minos got a long POV (obviously). That doesn't mean that I like him more than the other tributes. His Reaping scene was just easy to write 1,000 words long while most tributes' were good at a shorter length.**


	13. District 3 and 5 Females

**Norah Mendell (16) D3F**

I leaned over the table at our lab, working away on dissecting a frog. My parents said that the Games needed some more frog mutts this year, but I knew that the Capitol just took our information and hoarded it until they needed it. They could probably keep all of our data and store it safely for years without any worry of anything getting messed up.

Frogs were one of the easiest things to dissect, and I knew what I was doing, so I was pretty confident in my work. I didn't know anything about frogs by any means, but they weren't very complicated just to get basic knowledge about. I simply had to cut it apart and tell which thing was which in an orderly manner. My next task would pop up on the screen soon enough so I could work on it.

I slowly removed the intestines, which I always thought were disgusting. They weren't the worst things in the world, and I could deal with them, but any guts can be considered nasty. I poker-faced through it, however, since I didn't want to get any attention from my parents. They would ask tons of questions, and I was content sitting over here, by myself, silently.

Next was the heart. The heart was an intriguing part of the body, but it was still somewhat gross. I was amazed at how complicated it was, and how it did so much for the body. A frog had no business being alive. It had this tiny little heart, and tiny everything, yet somehow it managed to move and stay alive, and frogs even appeared to be able to plan basic things. I would probaby never full understand how.

I worked away at removing the rest of the inner parts of the frog, things such as the bladder and the brain. I had to remove the eyes very carefully, since I wouldn't want to break them. When I was finally done, I organized everything neatly and checked for my next assignment. There was nothing on the screen, so I turned to my father. "Hey, Dad, what am I supposed to do next?" I asked quietly as I slowly walked up to him.

He went over to my table and examined what I had done. "This is all wrong. We wanted everything to stay in the frog, just make them visible."

I nodded. On the inside I was steaming, but I knew if I said anything I would get a lecture. My dad might even go so far as to hug me and make sure I was happy. It could go on for hours. Instead, I just smiled and went back to my work. My parents were incapable of understanding my introvertedness, so I had learned how to pretend I was content to avoid conversation.

My dad seemed content with that response, and he went back to his work. I turned to my table, still steaming, and realized that I had forgotten to ask him whether or not I should get new frog. I decided that asking wouldn't be worth my time and went to putting everything back in the frog the way I found it.

That may seem like a long and difficult task, but I have a decent memory, so I found it simple. I just put things back in the opposite order I took them out, putting them in the place I took them out of. That assured that everything was where it belonged place-wise and layer-wise.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Reaping bells rang out. I touched up my frog and took of my gloves the way my dad taught me to: peel off the first glove so it's inside-out, and then grab the now inside-out glove to remove the second glove. I still had to wash my hands, but it was nicer.

I ran home and changed out of my white lab coat, happy to be in some fresher clothing. I threw on a gray skirt and I white blouse, rushing to be ready in time for the Reaping. My home was a ways away from the Town Square and the lab, so I always had to rush. I picked up my silver DNA bracelet as a token and ran to the Reapings, hoping for one more year of freedom.

Lazuli Rhod walked onto the stage, dressed in a DNA dress. It was actually pretty cool. It hugged her figure to give off the double helix shape, and it was the right colors. She had style.

The video came on without her even speaking, and we all turned to watch it. I didn't much mind the video. I just watched it in silence while everyone else started talking amongst themselves. The kids didn't hate me, and I didn't hate them. They just recognized that I wasn't talkative and left me alone.

The video finally ended and Lazuli strolled towards the glass bowl. Her fingernails were painted blue and red, which was neat. "Our female tribute will be... Norah Mendell!"

I walked onto the stage, trying my best to seem calm. I wanted to seem confident so that I could attract sponsors. I could feel myself scowling despite my best efforts, so I could only hope that I looked confident anyways. I had to hope I would go into the Games well, since it was my only chance at life.

* * *

 **Simmons Hall (13) D5F**

School was a terrible place. People were always sad or stressed. And lots of people were really mean, so I didn't like them. I wasn't sure how people could be so mean. I was always taught to be nice; being mean seemed illogical. It's not like the nice people did anything wrong. They just lived their lives, and the mean people attacked them.

I hunched my shoulders as I walked into the school. I knew more people were going to be mean to me today. The only people who weren't mean to me were my parents, and they weren't in school. I could only look forward to when I graduated, so I didn't have to go to school anymore. That would be wonderful.

Bridgett was over by her locker, lurking and being creepy. Sadly, her locker was by my locker. She would probably attack me today, which she always did. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? I closed my eyes and walked past her, hoping she wouldn't notice me. "Hi, Simmons! Did you finish the geography homework?"

I cringed and hissed. She was already being upsetting, soon she would be straight-up mean. "No. I had a lot of work last night," I replied, trying not to give her any leverage. If I said it was hard she would call me stupid.

"Oh, I can help you if you want."

"I think I have it," I whispered. She was being so rude! Did she think I was inept? I just wanted to open my locker and live my life without jerks like her. She was still watching me, and I hoped she was done ormenting me for today. I just wanted her to be done!

"If you're sure! Good luck on your math test."

"Thanks," I replied, hoping my voice was even. I wanted so badly to be nice, I was supposed to be nice. It was right to be nice and that was what I wanted to do. But she was being so _mean!_ Saying "If you're sure" like she's better than me. And wishing me good luck like she thought I was an idiot. People were so harsh.

I turned and started walking to class, but I stubbed my toe on a corner. I promptly started crying, and Bridgett turned to me. _She's gonna call me a crybaby and hate me. She always does._ I tensed up and waited for her rude remarks, and got what I expected. "Oh, are you all right? Stubbing your toe hurts."

I cringed. "Yeah, thanks," I muttered. My politeness was failing despite my best efforts. She wouldn't give up! What a jerk, being so sarcastic. She thought I was a wimp, and she thought that stubbing your toe didn't hurt. Well, she was wrong. I was sore now, and my foot was probably going to hurt for the rest of the day.

I finally stepped into the classroom, my eyes still red and puffy. I sat down and started working on my geography homework, hoping nobody would be mean to me. Thankfully, nobody did. I got to work until the bells rang for class to start, and class actually went pretty smoothly.

The rest of the day was ok. I smiled when the worker gave me food and said "please" and "thank you" like a good girl should. The workers were nice to me, too. They even gave me some extra meat, which was a luxury. Nobody was mean to me during lunch, so I didn't cry again. It wasn't often I only cried once in a day.

I started walking to the Reaping, and Ovid Leek had beat me there. She was our escort, and she always wanted me to look bad. I tried to get to the Reaping on time, and here she was, showing me up. I smiled at the Peacekeepers even though I was sad.

I watched the video with everyone else. I didn't mind the video, since it wasn't too bad. I was sad that all of those people got hurt, but Mom told me they were just actors, so they were actually ok. When the video ended, I started to shake.

So many people liked to be mean, and what better way to be mean than sending me into the Games? I knew that that was unlikely, but it was possible. I started crying a little bit, trying to hold in the tears, but it wouldn't work. Ovid called the female name, and everything got worse.

"Our female tribute is Simmons Hall!" I started full-blown sobbing, crying and wheezing while I tried to get enough breath. Tears and snot ran down my face and I kept weeping. I curled up on the stage, trying to disappear. Everybody in the Games was mean. There was no place for me.

* * *

 **Norah works at the genetics lab, not usually doing things like dissecting frogs. I was too lazy to look up genetics today, so Norah got to dissect a frog. Yay her.**

 **Norah is short with olive skin and dark brown, chin-length hair. She's very thin and she has bright green eyes.**

 **Simmons is pale with a light dusting of freckles. She has dark brown hair with one blonde streak.**

 **Also, I need a 5 Male and a 3 Male. I was impatient to get writing, so you got these two. Of course, I still need to have all of the tributes, so I could use the males. If it takes too long I'll just ask my sister to help me fill up these last two spots, but I prefer submitted tributes over my randomly made guaranteed-to-lose characters who would probably hardly be characterized at all.**


	14. District 3 and 5 Males

**Faris Nye (14) D3M**

I left my home in a hurry. I didn't like being there more than necessary; there were too many bad memories. My home was filled with things that reminded me of my mother Keya, and her many fights with my mother Tianna. Sure, it had good memories, but there were a lot of bad ones. I preferred just to stay away whenever possible in order to be able to be happier.

I often thought long and hard about my mothers, each time my hate for Keya growing. She was so nice when she was around; I didn't know how she could possibly leave us. Keya had always said that she would love me forever, but that proved to be a lie. She had left us in the middle of the night to fend for ourselves, a sickly mother and her little boy.

That was how I got to have a job when I was twelve. If Keya had stayed around, we would've had enough money that Tianna wouldn't be dying of sickness and exhaustion trying to provide for us, and I would've been able to live a normal life. My job had a lot of ups, but the fact that I couldn't go to school was annoying.

Reaching the lab, I was forced to stop thinking about my home and get my head in the game. I was a secretary, which seems easy, but when you have to handle about twenty workers things get rough. For the rest of my shift, I would have no time for thinking, only for doing tasks and passing messages. I didn't mind doing it, but it took a lot of my brain capacity.

I barely had time to get the coffee machine going before one of the workers was yelling at me. I turned to see Alesandro, who seemed to hate me. He was always finding something to yell at me for, and I had long since learned that there was no reasoning with him. All I could do was smile and be polite. "Hello, Alesandro!"

"What are you doing, Faris? You're three hours late!" He bellowed at me.

I gritted my teeth and kept my polite smile plastered to my face. "Sorry, sir. Would you like some coffee?"

"Just get back to work, you idiot!"

I smiled a more real smile when he walked away. Maybe he would stay in his office the rest of the day. It was unlikely, but a fella could hope. I sat down at my desk and starting organizing the day's papers like I was taught: First by hour completed, then by information, then alphabetize the final pile. It was a tedious task, but it was one of the most calm things I did all day, which was nice.

Not many people were in the lab that day, only about ten of the usual twenty workers. I assumed most of the people were staying home for some moral support before the Reapings. I found myself a bit worried that Norah would've stayed home, but I could see her working at her table, dissecting a frog.

I may have had a slight crush on Norah. Or maybe I was in love with her. It was always hard to tell. Either way, she was the best part of my job. Whenever she was working, she was always within eyesight of my desk. I could just watch her while I absentmindedly organized all of the papers, staring and hoping she would finally notice me.

Turns out, organizing papers without looking at said papers was a terrible idea. I was jolted out of my fantasies by Alesandro yelling at me again. "Faris! What are you doing now?"

I looked down at the stack of papers and felt myself pale a little. There was no way I was keeping my job after this. I had managed to screw up the piles, mixing two days worth of work. I kept my eyes down and tried not to freak out, knowing there had to be something good in what was going on. I found it and latched to it: If I got fired, I wouldn't have to work with Alesandro anymore. I kept that in my mind while I talked in order to stay calm. "Sorry, sir. I was organizing the papers, but I got a bit distracted."

"A bit? A BIT? Did an asteroid fly by the window? You made one of the biggest mistakes a secretary has ever made in this factory. The last secretary got fired for messing up some _hours!_ What do you think is going to happen if you mess up entire days?"

I cringed a little, but took the yelling. "Sorry."

"I'm not done yet!" It didn't matter. The Reaping bells rang out loudly, and he was forced to stop yelling. "This is your last warning, Faris. You should be happy it's a Reaping day, so I pity you!"

"Thank you!" I responded as I ran out of the lab. He probably thought I was thanking him, but I was thanking the bells for getting me out of the situation. I could deal with it, but that didn't mean I wanted to. I was happy to get away and prepare for the Reapings.

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt (15) D5M**

I woke up, rolled over, and started trying to go back to sleep. I didn't want to get up today; it was the Reaping for the Hunger Games. I loved planning for the Games, but I didn't think any of my strategies could possibly get be through the Games. Strategizing was fun; putting those plans into action, not so much.

My odds of going into the Games were slim to none and I knew it. I had done the math a thousand times. There were about 3700 people eligible for the Games in our District. Roughly one thousand of those people were eighteen, with six slips each, making 6000 slips that weren't me.

Then there were the seventeen-year-olds, all roughly 800 of them. They have five slips each, making another 4000 slips that weren't me, 10,000 in all.

The rest of the kids added up to approximately 6500 more slips, making 16,500 slips in all. I was three of those, making me have a 3 in 16,500 chance, or a 1 in 5500 chance. Not going to happen. But all of the kids told themselves that; how could I know I wasn't the unlucky one?

I sighed and got up, walking over to the kitchen. I was going to make myself toast. Why toast? Because I knew how to make toast. My mother was out working, and my father was doing some important thing, so I had to make breakfast. I didn't know how to make eggs, or cinnamon toast, or French toast. We didn't have cereal in our crummy little house. That meant I got toast.

I turned the oven on and left, wanting to get dressed while my toast cooked to save time. I had been late to my last Reaping and I didn't want it to happen again. I hated running, so I had to be ready early. I threw on a button up shirt and an old pair of jeans that I'd had forever and went to check on my toast.

It was burnt. I figured that would happen, but I didn't mind. At least I had toast. Bon Appétit. I buttered my toast quickly, not worrying when my toast ripped slightly. I didn't mind ripped toast. It tasted like any other toast, so I was good.

After finishing my toast, I put on a coat and starting running towards the Reaping. I wasn't technically late yet, but I didn't want to risk it. I really regretted having toast instead of bread. Stupid toast, making me waste my short morning before the Reaping.

I planned what I would do if I got into the Games on the way to the Reaping. I decided that I would run away from the Bloodbath, and I would avoid anybody. It was better to stick to myself than worry about getting a higher kill count. Better to live a dog than die a lion.

A Peacekeeper was following me on my run to the Reaping, and I cursed under my breath. _Late again._ I picked up my pace, making a mad dash instead of a steady run. I could see the people gathering around the square and I hissed, throwing my hand to the Peacekeeper waiting to prick my finger.

Ovid Leek was pulling the name just as I stepped into the fifteen-year-old section. I tried to catch my breath while she yelled out, "And our male tribute is Isaac Wyatt!"

I freaked. I told myself to calm down, I could survive the Games. I knew I couldn't. I told myself I would. My brain wouldn't listen to what I was saying. I walked up to the stage still worried, standing next to my disrict partner. Looking at some of the screens, I saw that I looked way more confident than I felt. _Good. Maybe you'll get some sponsors. You forgot about them in your strategy._

* * *

 **Faris is tall with short, light brown hair. He has tan skin and blue eyes. Isaac has light brown hair, pale skin, and electric blue eyes.**

 **Also, Isaac's plan in his POV is different than his form said. Don't worry Nightcat, that's just what I threw together. His plan will grow and mature to what you asked for during the training and everything.**


	15. District 6 Reapings

**Mustang Colbolt, D6M**

"Idiot!"

"You couldn't pour water from a boot if the instructions were on the heel!"

"You couldn't even do one thing right, could you?"

I sighed. People were picking on Bianco. Last week it was Emme, and before then, Amuza. People would never learn just to leave those fine women alone. I turned my head to see what all of the hubbub was about. No one said Emme couldn't do anything right, so Bianco must've done something different.

When I turned, I saw what it was. Bianco had gone and cut her hair short. Most people wouldn't be expected to mind this, especially not in Six. But we were a rural part of the District, and we stuck true to our roots. We were not ones to come to the new, odd ways of other people. We were fine with our small business of carriages for the especially rich.

I ran over to defend Bianco. "Now, y'all should leave a lovely young lady like her alone. She's eighteen now, and she can cut her hair if she pleases."

This got me a lot of glares, and some spit in the eye. "Well, she's not even a lady anymore, Mustang. We don't need to respect her!" my old nemesis, Caldwell, spat at me.

I glared right back at him, raising my fists for the fight that was sure to ensue. "Now you leave her alone, or we'll have to take this outside!"

He looked down at me scornfully. "You and your little army are going to take _me_ down?"

I was steadily getting angrier, but I did everything I could to swallow it down and prepare for the fight. Nobody was allowed to insult my gang. It was frowned upon by the people that knew about it, but I didn't care. I could be a gangster at times and still be a gentleman. Besides, being a gangster was what prepared me for fights like this. "I only need me."

Caldwell seemed surprise at my boldness, and for good reason. The last time I had tried to fight him, he had won. Hard. I could barely walk for weeks, much less do work on the carriages. I had had to dip into my funds for that. But I wasn't going to let Caldwell get away with insulting a fair maiden like Bianco, so I walked outside and faced him.

We positioned ourselves so the sun wasn't in either of our eyes, and a crowd quickly gathered. It wasn't every day there was a fight around here. Caldwell and I were sizing each other up, looking for any ounce of weakness in our opponent we could find. A gentleman such as myself always fought fairly, but using weaknesses wasn't unfair in the least.

Caldwell came at me first, and I easily dodged his blow. I had time to taunt him, but didn't bother. It would be a waste of my breath. I grabbed his arm as it whizzed by mace face, jerking it and him towards me. He stumbled slightly, but quickly caught himself.

He kneed me in the stomach and I crumpled over slightly. He thought he had won, but I wasn't going down yet. My pride and a lady were on the line, and I couldn't go down with one blow. I stood up straight and punched him straight in the face when he didn't expect it.

He took a step backwards, and I saw my opportunity. I kneed him in his stomach and elbowed him in the back when he crumpled over. He fell down, and I stood over him, daring him to get up. He stayed down, which was good for the lot of us. I knew that my good luck of beating him would soon run out if he recovered.

I walked away with my head held high, and Bianco ran over to greet me. "Thanks for sticking up for me," she said, looking down at the ground.

"Of course. Anything for a lovely ma'am such as yourself," I responded, kissing her hand. Her face lit up and she hugged me. I smiled right along with her. I may have hurt my stomach that day, but the gain was worth it.

* * *

 **Kia Steer (13) D6F**

"Do you believe in...magic?" The man asked us mysteriously. I smiled and nodded, practically able to feel my eyes lighting up as I did so. I held onto Maserati's arm tightly as the man lifted up his hat and showed it to us. "There's nothing in there, correct?"

I nodded again, excited to see what was going to happen. Magic was the most amazing thing in the world, and I always grabbed at a chance to see it. The man set down his hat and did a weird chant, and then reached into his hat. He pulled out a bunny, and I squealed. Rabbits were adorable. He let us pet it, and then continued to his next ability.

For his next show of talent, he grabbed two metal rings. He showed us their complete roundness and fullness, and then managed to _put them together!_ He proved to us that there was no trick or opening, and then _pulled them apart again!_

We left the man when he finished his act, after having shown us many more amazing things. He could even levitate. I linked arms with Maserati as we left, smiling brightly. "How does he do that? I wish I knew magic," I chattered.

Maserati rolled her eyes. "It's just an illusion, Kia!"

I shook my head intently. "No way! There was nothing in his hat! And you can't just pretend to levitate!" Maserati was nice, but she didn't understand that magic was entirely real. I could never understand how someone could so easily ignore what was right in front of her face.

"Didn't you see how long he left the hat on the table? He probably smuggled the rabbit in then!"

"That's impossible! He was too busy casting the spell!" I exclaimed, still unsure of how Maserati could be so wrong. "Maserati, you're my best friend, and I love you. But how can you think magic is fake?"

"Because it _is!_ "

I shrugged and switched to a happier topic. "Well, at least we had some fun, right? That was my first time petting a rabbit!"

Maserati smiled and nodded, seemingly more comfortable now that I was back to my usual, optomistic self. She said it was off-putting when I argued, since I did it so rarely. I wholeheartedly agreed with her, since I prefered to be nice over arguing. Arguing was ok when it was necessary, but it was way more fun to be nice.

I sighed and tensed as I saw the school bullies walking towards us. I didn't get them. How could you just up and attack someone? It was completely illogical. Yet they seemed to enjoy doing it, and Maserati was one of their main victims. I placed myself between her and them, hoping that they wouldn't see her.

They saw her. They sped up their pace to reach her, and she flinched. They never seemed willing to leave her alone. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed slightly. Fights were easier when I was there. No victim had to fight alone if I was in their vincinity.

The leader of the gang stepped towards us, and I smiled brightly. For one thing, I wanted to give him another chance. If we all snapped at him right away, he would never change. However, I mostly smiled because I thought if I looked confident he would leave us alone.

Of course, one happy face would never be enough to scare someone away. And so, he started screaming the usual things at Maserati. He was ridiculously unoriginal. As he spat insults at her, like "Idiot!" and "You're so ugly!" I started spitting them right back at him. He said the same thing every time, so I could say exactly what he said when he said it.

I could seem him quickly getting frustrated as I started sassing him. "You stay out of it, Kia. You need to learn your place."

I glared at him as he said that. "My place above you?"

He was quickly growing angry, and I could tell. I didn't really want a fight, but he had to learn to leave Maserati alone. "Why can't you ever shut up? A woman should be seen, not heard."

"Like I care! I'll protect my friends 'til the end!" I spat at him, wanting him to leave.

He slapped me in the face. I never expected him to sink so low as to hit a girl. Most people knew that boys and girls weren't supposed to fight. However, I was on the victim side, and I didn't care what people thought, so I punched him in the nose.

He screeched and tried to knee me in the stomach, but I dodged. I punched his neck, and he grabbed my arm, throwing me down. As I tried to get up, he knocked me down again. I kept trying and he kept knocking me down. "Just stay down already, wimp!"

I ignored him. I kept trying to get up, knowing that giving up was never an option. If he beat me, he would keep attacking us. I pushed up again, getting up at an angle instead of trying to stand straight up. That threw him off, and I successfully stood up. I took another swing at his face, causing him to stumble. I then proceeded to swipe his legs from under him, reversing our positions.

He didn't even try to get up. I didn't know why. Getting up was the smart thing to do. I stood over him for a while, making sure he wasn't going to attack me, and then walked over to Maserati. She pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank you!"

I hugged her back. "No problem."

* * *

 **Yay! We're done with the Reapings! Now I can write until my heart's content.**


	16. District 1 Train Rides

**Glacine "Grace" Rockridge (17) D1F**

I walked around the train, searching for my District partner. He had disappeared somewhere on the train, and I had become determined to find him. I needed him with me to plan for the Games, and to decide who was in the pack and who was out. Really, I couldn't do anything unless he was with me, so I needed to find him.

I searched the whole District 1 car top to bottom. I tried the kitchen, the dining room, and even his bedroom. It was a bit creepy going into his room, but I had to find him. We needed to be prepared for the Games. Anyone could see that, so I had no idea where he could be. He had to be somewhere.

After having searched the whole car about five times, I finally gave up on him. If he was going to be useless, I could do all of the planning on my own. He forfeited his vote by not being there. I also figured I would probably be able to easily convince him of anything I wanted. It wasn't usually hard at all.

A walk to the dining room brought me to my mentors, Extravagance Eleanor and Satin Legrasse. I knew I would want to spend more time with Satin. Extravagance was so annoying. She was against people becoming Careers, and she would probably tell me to worry about food. I needed to use Satin's extense knowledge of fighting.

Satin was a Games legend. She was the cruelest Victor of all, tearing her opponents to shreds. I didn't need to be quite that harsh, but I did need to know how to kill and not just injure. I needed to know how to make sure I would win this Games, not crack at the best moment. Nobody could teach me better than she could.

Extravagance seemed to agree. "You get Satin," was all she said before walking away. I didn't mind. I didn't have time to waste. I needed to get in touch with Satin.

"How did you do it?" I asked her, not sure of exactly how I should word my question. Judging by her quizzical look, I had to try again. "How do you kill? I know it's hard. I need to know how to do it if I'm going to win."

Satin smiled, but shook her head. "I'm going to enjoy training you, but we have to look at the Reaping recaps first."

I rolled my eyes. "All right. Looking for potential allies?"

Satin nodded. "We need to see who's who. I went through the Careers, and you're going to want them, so we're skipping those Districts in order to save time. District Three will be first up."

"Ok. Let's see my comptetitors." Satin switched on the television, and the recaps started playing. I stared at the Three tributes and instantly wrote them off. They were too smal and quiet to be of any use.

Five was another deal. Simmons was obviously useless, and I could tell by Satin's look of disgust that she agreed. But Isaac was interesting. I probably wouldn't seek him out, but I would watch for him. Nobody was that calm when they got Reaped.

I could ignore Six. I had to be careful not to underestimate anyone, but they brought nothing to the table from what I could see. However, both the Seven tributes were interesting. I made a mental note to mention Carver to Minos. He was tall, and he was probably strong. He could be useful.

Eight was especially weak this year. The male started to have a seizure when he was called, so he was an automatic write-off. The female was a big baby, and we wouldn't want her with us. Nine wasn't much, but they were surprisingly chill with being Reaped. I would have to keep a strong watch on stupid acts of bravery this year.

The Ten female wasn't much, but the male was something. He looked strong, and he seemed to have something to fight for. He was confident, which could be good or terrible. The Eleven kids were nothing special. One was average and one was a shorty. The male seemed stupid. What kid just asks not to get volunteered for?

I hated the Twelve male already. That smug little smile as he marched to his death. He was what, twelve? He had no chance. At least Smudge could be pitied. Poor thing.

Stain was staring at me expectantly, so I told her everything I had gathered. She nodded as I rattled off my list, and she seemed impressed. I smiled at how much she liked my decisions. I had managed to impress the woman who was probably the harshest mentor of all.

Finally, Satin told me how to kill. She told me not to look in their eyes, for risk of becoming sorry. She told me to get it done quick, which I thought was hypocritycal, but I kept it in mind. Getting it done quick meant less time to get yourself killed.

By the end of the day, my confidence had gone up considerably. I had learned a lot, and I had a game plan going. All I had to do now was put it into action.

* * *

 **Minos Vella (17) D1M**

Strategizing was boring. I could do that later. I knew how important it would be in the future, but for now, I wanted to have some fun. I knew that on a Capitolite train it couldn't be hard, and I decided to try out everything- even if that meant leaving my train car.

I knew that Glacine would yell at me later for not being there, but frankly, I didn't care. I was going to learn everything I could about the preset. The future was a variable, and I couldn't really be planned for. All I could do right now was quench my curiosity about everything Capitolite.

There were buttons everywhere, and I wanted to know what they did. Right now, nothing was going to get between my and my buttons. They were brightly colored and they hurt to look at, so of course, they drew me in. I pressed the first one, and a pie came out of a whole. _All right, that's really random, but okay!_

I moved on to the next, pressing that one for a long time. A steady stream of chocolate came out, and I ate it, making sure to remember which button it was for the future. Chocolate was priceless. I could hear Glacine calling for me, and I left the car. She could find me later.

I pressed all of the buttons as I went along, amazed at how much food the Capitol had. I never went hungry back in One, but even we didn't have this much food. It came from everywhere whenever you needed it. There was candy, and liquids, was was really confusing. There was even potatoes, which was really random but cool.

One of the buttons really surprised me. I pressed it and a spherical object came out. It had a weird texture, and it didn't appear to be for eating. I was mulling over what to do with it when someone came up behind me. "It's a bouncy ball!"

I turned to him. I felt really stupid not knowing this apparently obvious thing, but people from One didn't have time for odd spheres. I had to train and help others train. "What's a bouncy ball?"

"Well, first of all, I'm Redd. Anyways, let me show you." He hit the button and was greeted with a pink sphere in contrast to my green one. He threw it at the ground and it bounced back up. He caught it in his hand and then tossed it to the wall. It bounced back again; he caught it again. He started doing tricks, like bouncing it twice or bouncing it off both walls, and then seemed to remember that I was there. "You going to try?"

I stared at him for a bit, and then said, "I'm Minos."

He smiled. "You're the One kid?"

"Yep. You're Ten?"

He shook his head. "Eleven. Have you really never seen a bouncy ball? I'd think someone from One would be rich enough to know."

"We had something a bit like these, but they were wooden. Never this rubbery stuff. And they didn't bounce as well. They were supposed to be used to make weapons in training, but I let the kids play with them." I tossed the ball at the ground, and it bounced back up over my head. Redd laughed, and I blushed. "I think I threw it too hard."

He shrugged. "It takes a while to get used to it. You have to learn the bounce. Obviously, you need to throw softer."

Throwing softly wasn't my strong suit. You couldn't just throw your spear at half strength. I tried throwing the ball more lightly, and it bounced up to my chin and then fell. "You're getting it!" Redd encouraged me. "Try to catch it."

I threw it down and put my hand under it. It fell into my hand softly, and I threw it again. It bounced to shoulder-height and then landed it my hand again. I kept doing it until I managed to bounce it off a wall. Redd clapped and cheered. "You did it!"

I smiled. "Thanks! It was nice meeting you."

He shrugged. "I try. Try and make some new tricks for me, ok?"

"All right," I complied happily. Redd seemed cool. I hoped he would win if I didn't.

* * *

 **Yay! First train rides are done. Everything is a checkpoint now xD Sorry about short paragraphs, but it seemed right for this chapter.**


	17. District 2 Train Rides

**Ambrose Caraway (18) D2M**

I got onto the train and promptly sat down at the window. I had brought my notebook with me, and I wanted to draw everything I saw. It would take a lot of my paper, but I would either have enough money to buy everything I wanted or I wouldn't care. Now was the perfect time to live in the moment, which I planned to do until the end.

The train went along for about an hour before we got to new land. I had quickly sketched the forests, but my drawings were so bad I didn't think anyone would be able to tell. Quick-drawing was not my forte at all, so I decided to wait until something really caught my eye.

That "something" was a lush meadow. One didn't have many meadows. One hardly had a forest for me to sketch. Usually all I got was mountains and part of my lake. Now I could draw something entirely new. I knew it would be hard, but I was ready for a challenge. After all, soon I was going to do the most challenging thing of my life.

I stared at the meadow as it rushed by, trying to figure out the best way to draw it. I wanted to get it perfect, so I could have clearer memories of the one time I actually traveled past the District's boundaries. Also, the meadow was gorgeous. I didn't want to screw it up with my drawing skills.

I decided to start my drawing the horizon, and work my way around. I drew a line where the ground met the sky, and prepared to start on the flowers. I didn't know exactly how to draw that many flowers, so I just drew a whole bunch of partial flowers which were overlapping. My final product looked pretty neat, and I started filling in the sky.

I heard footsteps behind and turned to see who was lurking in the doorway. It was Shale, my cousin. I was completely unsure of what to say to her, so I just kept drawing. I didn't particularly want to talk to her anyways, so I was happy with my choice.

Shale had other ideas. "Yo. You want advice or are you just going to keep drawing?"

I sighed. I didn't want to talk to her. I was content with being neutral, not talking to her and potential making her hate me. Let's just say I wasn't the best with conversational skills. "I was going to draw. Why? What do you want?"

"You can draw all you want if you choose," she said passively. "I know you have a lot of training. I just wanted to offer if you needed it."

I set down my paper and gestured for her to sit beside me. "How do I win?" I knew it was a vague question. I just wanted to see what she would say.

"You have to survive. It sounds stupid, but it's true. You don't just win. Know how to make fires. Know how to hunt. Know how to gather. Not only will you be able to live after the split, but you'll be indispensable until it," she explain, staring at me intently.

"All right. Can I ask any questions I want?"

"Sure, but I might reject you," she replied, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"What are the Games like?"

"The Games are hard. You have to know how to kill people. Of course, you know that. But once you're actually doing it, it's more difficult. They're people. You'll learn that. You'll also have to push through it. It's a challenge. I know from experience. But it's possible. You have to learn it. And don't just worry about killing people. After the split, you'll be hungry. You'll be thirsty. You'll be exhausted, but you won't be able to sleep for fear of people slitting your throat. You'll have to give it everything you have, or you won't come back."

Her response scared me a bit, so I decided to move to another topic, one that interested me more. "Why did you volunteer?"

That seemed to catch her off guard, but she quickly recovered. "To make Mom proud. Like you."

I shook my head. "That can't me it. I did it to get Grandma off my back. And to make Mom proud, but Grandma was part of it."

"Well, I was prideful, too. Lots of kids said I couldn't do it. I guess winning was my biggest act of spite. I showed them I could do it!"

I chuckled slightly and she cackled. "Do you think I can?"

She shifted back to full seriousness. "I think you can if you can suppress your emotions. You can't let people get to you."

I nodded. "I'll try. Now, what is being a Victor like?"

"It's not much different from your life. I mean, everything I've gotten I've passed to some family member or another. Aunt Carrie always asks for some clothes, and Uncle Morty always wants all my food. I don't really mind. It's still a nice life, but you've had most of it. Ask me something else."

"Well, what are the other Districts like?"

"You don't have a reason to get home other than not dying, right?"

I nodded. "Why?"

"Then I won't tell you what they're like. You'll have to find out for yourself."

I smiled. "You're pretty cool, Shale."

"For now. Tomorrow we begin strategy. Dove's getting a bit antsy about our current lack of plan. Wouldn't want to worry her too much."

I shrugged. "I can deal with it. Do you like my meadow?"

She leaned over me as I pulled out my notebook. "It's pretty neat. You need to add a sun, though. Let me show you."

It degenerated into an art lesson, with both of us sharing our knowledge. I never knew Shale had any information on art, so I was pretty impressed. We spent the majority of the night talking, having supper brought to us. Shale even showed me a way to get ice cream from beside our bed. If I had to choose a way to live the last days of my life, that would be it.

* * *

 **Dove Sybilla (17) D2F**

I walked confidently into the train and got ready to talk to the mentors. Shale said she needed to talk to Ambrose, and I was all right with that. I could talk to the other mentors for now and ask for her opinion later. Besides, she was Two's newest Victor. She wasn't as experienced with training.

Nero and Menalaus were pretty easy to find. I marched into their room and said, "Could we start training tomorrow? I want to get situated with the train and everything." They seemed off-put by my request, and I figured it was probably something they had never been asked before. They both shrugged, and I walked away.

I knew how important planning was, and I was going to take it seriously. However, I wanted to have a bit of fun before all the stress and planning of the Games could get to me. I knew I was bound to get super stressed soon, so I wanted to enjoy my calmness to its fullest.

The train car was cool, and I wandered around it aimlessly for a long time. Shale looked at me worriedly, and I figured she thought I was scared. I was just curious, so I didn't know what was making her think that. She glanced at me apologetically and then looked away, lurking at the doorway to Ambrose's bedroom.

I heard crying from one of the other cars and went down to investigate. I had to pass through a lot of cars to reach it, and I got a lot of funny looks. I guess Careers weren't usually considered ones to console the sad. I didn't care. The unknown crier should be happy while they could.

I found myself in the Eight car, standing by a person I didn't know. I had no idea of who she was or what she was like, but I wanted to comfort her. "What's wrong?" It was a stupid question, since everything was wrong. However, I knew that just talking could be helpful, so I wanted to let her.

"Sisal is going to die," she sobbed into her hands. "And I won't be able to do anything because I'm here too and I need to live and only one of us can come back!"

I bent down and rubbed her back. "There's no promise that he'll die. There's no promise that you'll die. You need to increase your chances."

She started shaking like a leaf. "How do I do that?"

"Go into your room and clean up. And get some food. I'll show you where to get it." I slowly stood her up, and found out that she was a gorgeous young woman. "You look beautiful, by the way," I commented before walking with her to her room.

When we reached the room, I sat down on her bed while she washed her face. When she came out, I stretched out over the bed and pressed her bedside button. "Breakfast, lunch, supper, or dessert?"

"Dessert." She still sounded dejected, but I knew this would cheer her up a bit. I pressed the dessert button and started flying through the options. When I was done going through everything, we both had a plate full of various candies and two fresh chocolate chip cookies. I selected a glass of milk for us to enjoy, and I could see her livening up. "Thanks."

I bit into my cookie and slowly chewed it, then said, "Now, if you want to have a chance, you have to plan. Work on knowing what to do. You and Sisal should work together so you cover everything. And try to get sponsors. With your looks, it shouldn't be hard."

She nodded and said, "Thanks for all the help. Who are you, anyways?"

"I'm Dove. You are?"

"Rybbon. How did you know about the cookies?"

I laughed a little. "I tried them out in my room. This is my second plate of candy today."

She laughed along with me and finally seemed truly happy again. "I better get back to Sisal, but thanks for helping me so much." She stood awkwardly for a while and then hugged me. I lurked awkwardly for a while and then hugged her back.

"No problem. See you soon!"

She untangled herself from me and smiled. "I guess I will. Thanks."

I got up and slowly made my way back to my train. I had seen most of the train, but now I had nothing to do. I couldn't go to the mentors now, they were probably doing something important. Shale was still with Ambrose, so I couldn't even plan. I finally settled on going through the Reapings recaps while I waited for something fun to happen.

Of course, I couldn't just watch recaps. I reclined on my bed and ordered some chips from my button. I got some soda with it, enjoying it despite its unhealthiness. I would lose all of the calories during the Games anyways. I could eat what I wanted now to account for having to eat whatever I could get later.

Not many of the Reapings were interesting, but I made a note of some of the people. Carver was interesting, and Rybbon was probably going to be my back-up plan for when the split happed, assuming we didn't kill her. I felt bad for Smudge and made a mental note to show her the bedside buttons.

I knew I would be trapped on the train for a while longer, so I turned off the TV and settled on my bed. I played with all of the room temperatures and colors, and even messed with music. I learned that I could change the lighting to anything I wanted to, so I had a dance party with myself. The train cars were pretty awesome.

* * *

 **Important Note #1: Dove has been training many years. I messed that up in her Reaping chapter. Also, I think her siblings were Reaped because it was a pretty early year and the Careers aren't very big yet.**

 **Important note #2: I need YOU! I'm going to make a poll, and I need to know what would be the best for my readers. I'm either going to do twelve individual train ride chapters, which would mean lots of average sized chapters, do five more chapters with two Districts each, which would mean fewer chapters but they would be long, or I'm going to compress the rest of the train rides into a "Meet the mentors" chapter.**

 **Important note #3: Rybbon is not necessarily a cry-baby. I just needed a tribute who could cry and she was the first one I saw. Also, I think anyone could cry in a situation where she and one of her friends were going to have to fight to the death.**

 **Somewhat important note: Dove and Rybbon will not necessarily get an alliance. Any alliance planning may or may not be meaningful until I have both parties agree or I release an alliance list, in which case things are confirmed (obviously...)**


	18. District 3 Train Rides

**Norah Mendell (16) D3F**

I knew I should take the time to get situated with the train and learn all I could about it. I knew I should meet my mentors. I also knew that I didn't care. Today had been very stressful, and I needed to calm down. The last thing I needed was a long talk with someone who would ask me tons of questions, like I was sure my mentor would.

I decided to do something useful while I wound down, so I watched the Reapings. I could say I was doing something useful, and I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. It also gave me a chance to feel the nice couch in the train, which I was sure would be nicer than anything we had at home. We weren't poor by any means, but we also weren't Capitolites.

The couch was the softest thing I had ever felt. It was super squishy, and I almost feel into it when I tried to sit down. I could make patterns in the fabric, but I knew I shouldn't. I had to get my research done. I didn't have time for goofing off or trying to play with stuff. Watching the Reapings was first priority.

Faris had different ideas. He ran into my room, sitting down beside me without an invitation. "So, how are you? Besides being Reaped, of course," he questioned, looking at me like he actually cared and wasn't just going through formalities.

I scooted away. I knew Faris from back in the District, and his personality was not what I needed right now. "I'm good. I was just watching the re-caps." I replied slowly, hoping my reluctance would scare him off.

It didn't. He just scooted closer to me and asked, "Can I join you? We can scope out allies. I was kinda hoping we could be allies, being District partners and all."

I sighed internally, but just nodded slowly. "I guess we could work together, but I don't think we should ally." I hoped I didn't hurt him by saying that, but it was true. I wasn't looking for allies. I was looking for my biggest competitors, trying to see who I would watch out for.

Faris seemed to deflate when I said that, but he quickly smiled again. "All right! Are we starting with Careers or are we ingoring them because they're Careers?"

"I thought we should do all of them," I replied, scooting away. I hoped he wouldn't scoot closer, and he didn't. He got even sadder, but seemed to not want to show it. He was terrible at hiding his emotions, but I could see him trying to smile anyways.

"All right. Wait one second, I need to go do something." He got up and ran away, and I waited impatiently. You can't just join someone and then make them wait. It wasn't how things worked.

When he came back, I couldn't be annoyed with him for leaving. He was carrying meat and potatoes, as well as brownies. "For dessert," was all he said before he sat down. Then he handed me a plate and continued. "I wasn't sure if your room had a button, so I had to go back to my room to get this. In hindsight I should've checked your bed, but I didn't. I hope you like chicken."

I smiled a bit when he said that. Although I still didn't think I wanted to ally with him, he didn't seem like a bad guy. I figured I could handle talking to him. "All right. District One it is." I turned on the TV with a remote I had found, happy that it controlled the TV and not some weird thing like the tub.

It turned out, Faris was very bad and sitting still and watching things. The One re-cap wasn't done before he got up and started wandering around my room. "That was boring. Do you wanna play a game?"

His impatience frustrated me, but I held my tongue. "I think we should learn about our opponents first and then maybe we can play a game."

"Are you sure? I know a lot of good games, and we can always find out about the other tributes face-to-face."

I shook my head. "If you want to play a game, go ask Tellie. I don't have time to goof off." I repeated what had already run through my head so many times that day. "Besides, we should learn about them here and then meet them face to face. We can plan better that way."

He sighed. "I guess I can watch more. But after that we're playing a game, ok?"

I thought about it for a while, and then shrugged. "Sure. But we're going to watch all twelve Reapings."

"That's all right, I can wait." It turned out he was right. He managed to sit through all of the Reapings, which truly impressed me after his first bout of impatience. When we finally finished watching, he stood up proudly. "Now, let's play Never Have I Ever."

I was a bit regretful of what I had gotten myself into, but I couldn't back out now. "I guess. I'll go first. Never have I ever been a boy."

He stuck his tongue out at me. "Never have I ever been sixteen!" We both put a finger down, and I continued.

"Never have I ever built a snowman."

"No way! Everyone has built a snowman. Even the people in the orchards build snowmen with random things."

Grinning, I replied, "Nope. I always had better things to do." He just stared at me in amazement and then leaned back until he was lying flat on his back.

"Hey, there's something on the floor."

I walked over to him and saw a name engraved in the wood of the train. "Who would do something like that?"

"I don't know. Want some food?" I rejected him, but he got up anyways. For whatever reason he never came back. I looked around for a while and then careful carved **Norah Mendel** into the wood with my best cursive handwriting. Faris would never know, but I would be remembered just like Dew was.

* * *

 **Faris Nye (14) D3M**

Planning for the Games was boring. What was going to happen would happen, and I could deal with it then. I had found some potential allies while I watched the Reapings, but that certainly wasn't reason enough to sit through that boring thing. I had only been there for Norah.

She let me sit by her! I was amazed. Norah never noticed me. Now I had managed to sit by her and _hold conversation!_ It was awesome. Some annoying thoughts came to mind, like how she probably only let me watch to be nice, but I pushed them away. I didn't have time to be sad. I had to worry about being happy.

The name in the wood confused me. What kind of Three name was Dew? But I quickly pushed it out of my mind. I was ecstatic and bored at the same time, which is an odd occurence. I had to stop that, and there was only one thing I could do: explore.

Exploring didn't really interest me at home. Well, not really exploring. When I was bored I would go around the house and our property, but I never went anywhere new. I had no intentions of going anywhere new today. I was just going to explore the train.

The train was amazing. There was tons of stuff for me to look at. There were puzzles and board games, and even old videos. I looked through them until I could hear someone walking into the room I was in. The unknown figure just lurked there while I looked through the stuff, so I turned to them. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tellie. Your mentor."

I blushed a bit. "Sorry. I'm not good at remembering people."

She shrugged. "Most people don't remember Tellie Cathode. It wasn't exactly a rememberable Game. But that's beyond the point. Do you want to learn some stuff? Ask for advice?"

I shook my head. "I just did that for like, an hour. It was boring. I was gonna do something fun."

"Oh? Like what?" Tellie questioned, sitting down beside me.

"Do you wanna play a board game?"

Tellie got up and walked away when I asked that. I had no idea what was up, but I could deal with it. I would have to play a board game by myself. I picked up a box at random and started setting it up when I heard someone walk in again. "Who is it?"

It was Tellie. She gestured at a girl she had brought with her and said, "Meet Magpie Orchard. I'm sure she'd love to play with you."

The girl was smiling from ear to ear, and I quickly caught myself doing so, too. "I'm Faris. Wanna play a board game?"

She just nodded and sat down beside me. Tellie left without another word, and I stared at Magpie for a while. "Which side do you want to play?"

"I like to be the side closest to the starting spot. Is that ok with you?"

"Sure. Who goes first?"

"We roll to find out, silly. Do you have a Game plan yet?"

I was a bit dazed by her question. "Well, not really. I have a little bit, I guess, but it's not much."

"Well? What is it?"

"Oh. I'm just gonna grab a bunch of stuff and then wait the Games out. What about you?" I asked as I roll the dice. They landed with two fives. "Beat that!"

"I'm just going to hide it out. It's safer." She rolled the dice and got an eleven, and stuck her tongue out at me. "I did."

I sighed. "I guess that means you get to go first. Which color do you want?"

"Green. Do you want to ally?"

"I want blue. And yeah, I want to find some allies. Only a couple though. Too many would get in the way, you know?"

She laughed. "That seems like a good plan. I want to get as many allies as I can. That way I'm more safe."

I nodded. "That makes sense. And you get more food then." I took her saying she wanted the opposite of what I wanted as a gentle rejection of any offers and continued conversation. "What Arena do you want?"

"Well, I'd have to say a forest. Home advantage and all that."

"Yeah. I'd want an urban place, in hopes that the Gamemakers would leave some food. You gonna roll or what?"

She giggled. "I guess I had better. Here's hoping for doubles so I can go again."

She didn't get doubles. Conversation quickly died when she lost points on her first roll. I took the dice and got a whole bunch of points, and then handed them back to her. "Maybe you'll get more points soon."

She didn't do that, either. I won the game by a landslide. She smiled the whole way through, which surprised me a bit. Losing like that was harsh, even in a board game. "Good luck in the Games!" I called out before she could leave.

"Thanks. You too."

* * *

 **Another couple of notes. First of all, if you hadn't noticed, I decided how I'm going to do trains. It'll take a lot of chapters, but it's how I want to write. Second of all, the carving your name into wood thing was totally LadyCordeliaStuart's idea, (at least I got it from her) I just thought it seemed like something Norah would do. Third, if you ever want to alter your form in any way, go right ahead. I don't mind.**


	19. District 4 Train Rides

**Serena "Siren" Hasvak (18) D4F**

I had cried a little bit when my brother handed me my sail. I had to take it and rip of a part of it, trying it around my head. I knew that if I returned I would be able to buy a new sail, but it wouldn't be the same. Nothing would ever be the same again.

I tried to force myself to cheer up when I went to Talaysa, our mentor. She seemed nice enough from what I heard, and I wanted to meet her and talk strategy. I had a basic plan going, being from Four, but I wanted to touch it up around the edges. I figured Talaysa would know what to do.

Talaysa is a ditz. She was then, and I'm sure she still is. When I asked her for strategy she just said, "Live." When I asked her how she did that, she said, "I'm not really sure. Hm." I have no idea how she managed to become a Victor. I told myself that at least if I messed up she wouldn't mind. I just hoped that she would send me useful stuff and not water in a sea arena.

I still needed a plan. I could talk to Sebastian, but he was creepy, so I decided not to. I figured all I could do for now was think. Thinking was easy, but without some help, I wouldn't be sure if my plan was good. I could deal with that. At least I would have a solid plan.

Obviously, I needed to ally with the Careers. They would keep me safe for a while, and we could pick off the other tributes. I would have to find the perfect time to leave, since if I didn't I would die, but I would figure that out when the time came. Different Arenas and personalities would change when I should leave, so I had to wait on that one.

I already knew where I was going in the Training Center, so I didn't really make any progress on my plan. I didn't mind that, though. I had trained for this for years, I could handle a couple of days without much training. I was going to get to train again soon, anyways. For now, I wanted to do something interesting.

The train didn't have much to it. It was luxurious, of course, but it was still somehow basic. It had my quarters, a dining room, a kitchen, and a card room. I didn't have anyone to play a board game with, since Talaysa probably didn't understand the process of board games, so I would have to occupy myself another way. That would be the easiest thing I did all day.

I walked to my quarters casually, like I wasn't about to do something hugely immature. I reached them and sat down by the couch, removing all of the cushions. I laughed at myself quietly, but continued messing with the cushions. I slowly placed them back on the couch, balancing them so I had a fort.

That fort was nothing much, so I decided to try something else. I took the matress off of my bed and placed it beside the wall, making myself a basic lean-to. I then took the couch cushions and put them between my matress and my wall, filling out my fort a bit more.

I was running out of cushions, so I went to Talaysa's room. "Hey, Talaysa, can I borrow some cushions?" She looked at me like I was crazy, but she let me borrow all of her cushions and even threw in her matress. I figured she thought I was going to die and I may as well enjoy the ride.

Now that I had another matress, my plan changed drastically. It took a long while of dragging to get the matress to my room, but it was worth it. I slowly removed the couch cushions from my fort and put the second matress on top of the first, making myself a little square of safety. Next came the truly hard part.

Since this could be the last fort I made for pure fun, it had to be epic. I took one of the couch cushions and carefully set it on top of my fort's roof. I did that with two cushions, and then dragged a chair over to my fort.

I stood on top of the chair with another cushion in my hands. I stood the first two cushions upright, and then put the third one on top so it held the other two up. I now had a two-story fort, which was something I couldn't say I had done in the past.

I grabbed some blankets and draped them over any open areas in my fort, creating a nice, dark place for me to goof off in. I didn't trust the second story to hold if I actually put any weight on it, so I stayed in the bottom of the fort and kept trying to plan.

* * *

 **Sebastian Wright (18) D4M**

Resting in the train would be useless. I would have time for rest when I was forced to, when the Training Center closed. I couldn't officially train yet, but I could make a bit more of a strategy. I knew Four had mentors. I was going to tell them to help me.

It turned out, Four's mentor was useless. Talaysa was an idiot who couldn't help me at all. She didn't know how to live or how to kill. She couldn't even tell me what a good Bloodbath plan was, which I only asked her to see how far her stupidity went. It went farther than anyone would expect.

I almost threw something at her when she told me I should just have fun until the Games started. I was a Career. I was going to be a Victor. I didn't have time to just have fun. I needed to be prepared in every way possible. I needed a plan.

 _Fine. Make your own plan._ I knew I was going to ally with Serena, since she was a Career. I was going to ally with all of the Careers. I would become the leader, of course, since I knew what I was doing. The other Careers wouldn't fight me on it. They wouldn't want to. They would see how good of a pack leader I would be.

But what would I do after the divide? I couldn't stay with the Careers forever. _Fine. Leave them._ I decided that I would ditch when the time came. They would crumble without me, and I would win the Games with ease.

Of course, I would have to kill a lot of people. Becoming Victor wouldn't impress my District at this point. I would have to set a record for kills, otherwise I would just be what was expected of me. I could never have that. I had to be the best.

I would have to get into long-distance running. Tributes would run away when I tried to attack them. I was quick, but I could only run for so long. And besides, I needed to cover the entire Arena in my search for tributes. I wouldn't want to take more than a day between kills, so I would have to cover ground quickly.

I smiled at the ingenuity of my plan. Nobody would be able to take this win away from me. Most people wouldn't be harder to kill than a mosquito. There were so many babies this year, I was almost sad. I wouldn't be remembered with as much awe if I killed a bunch of twelve-year-olds. After all, kids were weak.

Serena had disappeared, or I would've told her that I was going to be leading the Career pack this year. I wanted to tell her as soon as possible so she knew and would plan accordingly. I sighed since she was nowhere, but I would just tell her later. She would be able to change her plans when asked to.

I had a meal sent to my room, not wanting to spend more time with Talaysa than necessary. An Avox came in with my food, and I took it without a word. I didn't have to acknowledge her. The plate burned my hand, and I despised her for not warning me until I realized that she couldn't. I set my plate down and started eating, trying to hear footsteps. Serena and I needed to talk.

* * *

 **For those of you who don't read the reviews, I need to clear something up. When Serena said she could at least be pretty, I was trying to write her optimistically, not narcissistically. Sorry that I made her come off as egoistical.**


	20. District 5 Train Rides

**Simmons Hall (13) D5F**

Even when I walked onto the train, I still couldn't believe I had been Reaped. It was so unlikely. It was almost impossible. I was only thirteen, I hadn't done anything wrong! But I was going to be send to die, and there was nothing I could possibly do about it. I knew my parents would've saved me if they could, but now I was gone and that was that.

I went into my room and cried. It was all I could do. I hugged my teddy bear close to my body as I wept on the bed, knowing I should calm down but not really wanting to. I wished I could just spend eternity on that bed with Teddy. It was one of the best places I had ever been, and I never wanted to leave.

I was ready just to die already so I wouldn't have to go into the horrid Games. At least if I died then I would have had a calm death, not being killed by another person. I hated my future killer despite knowing that they just wanted to get home like I did. I knew somewhere that it wouldn't be their fault, but I hated them. I hated the Capitol, too. They sent me here.

Sol walked into my room when I was still face-planted on my bed. He sat down beside me without invitation, and I ignored him. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to breathe. I knew I would be forced to talk to somebody sometime, but for now I wasn't going to.

Sol took it upon himself to get conversation going. "You have a chance, you know."

I sat up and wiped my eyes, done with being impolite. "No I don't."

"Yeah you do! You'll attract sponsors, especially with that adorable teddy bear," he continued.

"So? Sponsors will keep me fed, but that won't save me. Someone's gonna _kill_ me," I choked out before I started crying again. "I'll probably be a Bloodbath."

Sol shook his head. "That's why you'll run away from the Bloodbath," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I can't run away forever!"

That seemed to catch him off guard, and he thought for a while before responding. "You know sheep?"

I nodded. "Yeah?"

"They form herds. That way they're more protected and less likely to die. You're going to form a herd."

I nodded again. "That makes sense, I guess. Do you really think I have a chance?" I asked, looking at him sidelong.

"Of course you do! You're thirteen, that's plenty old to have a chance!"

I smiled. "Thanks." The smile was mostly fake, since I still thought I was going to die, but I at least wanted him to be happy. Sol deserved it. "Do you know where a needle and thread is?"

Sol seemed confused for a second, but stood up. "Why?"

"Well, Teddy has a ripped arm. I figured I may as well sew it up so it doesn't get hurt worse in the Games," I told him. Even if I was going to die, Teddy should be in good health.

Sol walked out of the room for a while, and I took time to think. He did have a point. If I was in a big alliance, I probably wouldn't die. I didn't know who would ally with that kid from Five, but anything could happen. If nothing else, at least now I had hope.

Sol came back with a spool of red ribbon and a needle. I laughed a little at his foolishness, but tried to keep it to a minimum. I didn't want to embarass the man. "Thank you!" I stood up and took the supplies from him.

After checking again that I was fine now, he walked out of the room. I took the ribbon and tried to fray it, finding myself only somewhat successful. I took the thinnest piece I had and threaded the needle. Let it never be said that I didn't care deeply for Teddy. Threading a needle is hard enough with thread. With ribbon, it was a nightmare. It took a lot of licking and teasing, but I managed to be successful

I took Teddy's arm and held it up, slowly sticking the needle into it. I had to make sure I did this perfectly, or I would have to sew it up again later. I didn't want Teddy to break if I wasn't there to fix him, so I made sure my work would last. His arm had lost a lot of stuffing, and now it was a bit flat, but I could make do. It was better than no arm.

As I hugged Teddy, I thought about the Games. Sure, they stank, but there had to be something good about them. I finally realized that there would be a parade, and I was happy for that. I hoped I would be something cool, like a working light bulb. And maybe I would get some cool food during the Games from sponsors. There were plenty of ups once I looked for them.

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt (15) D5M**

I had made plans all of my life. Most of them stank, but I had made plans. I had gone through a lot of terrible ideas, so now, if nothing else, I knew what not to do. I knew what to do in some very specific situations, like the obvious running away from the Bloodbath, but I needed an overall plan.

I wasn't the biggest or the fastest. I knew that was probably true, even without Careers. I would need to find a way around that. I couldn't just keep moving, since I wasn't a good runner. In fact, I couldn't just keep walking without failing horribly. I would have to hide, since that would be easier and safer.

As I spent more and more time planning, I found myself getting hungry. I could be healthy in preparation for the Games, or I could enjoy the fact that I was on a Capitolite train. That would be a hard decision. My brain and logic told me to be healthy, but my heart told me to goof off. I had never known which one to listen to in the past, and I didn't know then.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream sounded awesome. I knew all of those words, but none of them in that context. However, mint chocolate sounded good, and chips of chocolate sounded good, so it seemed like a good idea to eat it. Apparently this thing was served with toppings. I chose some cherries, which I had seen but not tasted, and whipped cream, which seemed like nonsense but sounded cool. How do you whip cream?

After I ordered it, this amazing bowl of cold, somewhat solid stuff came out. It had cherries on it, which I actually recognized, and this weird white stuff which I assumed was the whipped cream. The stuff was green and had chips of chocolate in it, which wasn't at all what I expected, but it was still cool. And delicious. It was way better than the toast I had for breakfast.

It turned out, I should've listened to my brain. While my heart was happy that I tried this delicious stuff, but stomach wasn't. I found myself puking all over the place, and I got hives. _What the heck is in that stuff?_ It certainly had something wrong with it, and I made it my task to find out. I knew it might be hard, but I would have to. If nothing else, it gave me something to do.

Coconuts. Coconuts were in the chocolate chips. That may not seem like a big deal, but I was allergic to coconuts. I had managed to find the one thing in the entire Capitol that could kill me. However, I learned one good thing from my situation: Brain should always come before heart.

I went back to planning like I had originally intended to. I ordered myself some salad, knowing that wouldn't have any coconuts in it. Even so, once I got it I checked it obsessively to make sure there was no coconut. Once I had made completely certain, I started eating. I didn't throw up again and my skin stayed normal, so I was fine.

I still needed a plan. Hiding would keep my alive for a while, but on the off-chance I got to the final two I would need to do something. I also had to keep active to ensure the Gamemakers stayed off my back. I realized that while I wouldn't be able to attack, I could kill someone that was already trapped. I just had to learn how to make snares, and I would have a chance. Not much of one, but a chance.

* * *

 **Here's Five! I tried to flesh out Simmons a bit more, since she does have a bit of a personality. Her Reaping POV asked her to be a crybaby, which apparently I did well, but it she was not supposed to think everyone hated her and I tried to fix it.**

 **Also, you should check out Others by LadyCordeliaStuart of Fictionpress because it's amazing.**


	21. District 6 Train Rides

**Kia Steer (13) D6F**

When I got onto the train, I knew I needed to start planning right away. I didn't have any time to waste before the Games. I could spend plenty of time goofing off if I came home. For now, I needed to unsure that I _would_ come home.

I walked towards our mentor, Doppler. "Hello, Mr. Doppler. I'm Kia. Nice to meet you," I said as I offered him my hand. He seemed a bit surprised by my greeting, but he took it and shook it.

"Nice to meet you. You here for training?"

"You bet. I need to know what to do in the Games."

"Well, what do you have so far? We'll build off of that if you have anything."

I nodded. "Honestly, not that much. I've never done much planing for the Games. I never thought I would need to," I admitted. "But I know I need an ally. I'm only thirteen, after all. And I know I need to hunt from afar. Probably traps and stuff."

Doppler thought about my answer, presumably plannign what else I should do. I was planning with him as I went. I may not be too strong, but I do know how to plan decently. "How do you plan to get food?" He prodded.

"Well, I would try to play up cuteness for sponsors. I would hope my ally knew how to hunt a llittle bit, but I would hunt and gather as well. I'll learn a couple of plants from every biome," I thought on my feet. "I'll also make sure to hunt small prey, and try to avoid things like deer, since bigger things are more dangerous." I looked to him for confirmation, trusting my plan was a good one but wanting an adult's opinion.

"That sounds good. Make sure you play up your strengths so that your ally finds you valuable. Play up your cuteness, yes, for sponsors," he talked, seemingly thinking about what he said as he was saying it. "But make sure you don't seem too weak. Nobody wants to sponsors somebody who's going to lose. And seem grateful for anything you get. Nobody wants to sponsors somebody who's ungrateful, either."

"I guess that makes sense," I responded, trying to think about what else I would need in the Games. "I'm not sure if I could kill anybody, but traps will make it easier. And I need to know basic medical care, too, just in case." I stalled a bit, quickly being overwhelmed by everything I would need to know.

"Kia, don't get scared," Doppler said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Keep planning everything. You seem to know how to plan, but I'll help out as much as possible."

"Ok. I'll try. I'll learn more basic medical care, and try not to spend too long there, since I'll have to spend a lot of time learning a weapon. What should my interview angle be?" I wondered aloud. "I guess I should try to seem cute there, too. And during the Games I'll try and make it look like I'm developing, whether or not I am, to keep the sponsors interested."

Doppler just sat there nodding at everything I said. "Make sure to use any weapons you get sent, too. It's like product placement. Then they know you're happy and they send more. No shame in happy dances or squeals. People like that."

"Ok. I'd probably do that without prodding," I admitted, blushing. "What else do I need to know?" We spent the rest of the train ride planning out every possible aspect of the Games, even figuring out what to do in case the Careers tamed mutts and attacked me with fireballs. I thought it wouldn't happen, but you couldn't be too safe.

* * *

 **Mustang Colbolt D6M**

I felt bad for poor Kia, going out and getting Reaped. I knew she didn't deserve this crud. Nobody did. I had to hope that she would make it home, but I hoped everyone would. Maybe something could happen this year, and everybody would get freed. It wasn't likely, but it couldn't hurt to hope.

Sighing, I went to work on a basic plan. I couldn't plan too much without knowing what the Arena was, but something basic would be better than nothing. At least then I would have something to fall back on so I didn't completely freak out during the Games. I knew that, if nothing else, I would want an ally, so I decided to start working on that.

I knew already that I couldn't ally with a Career, so I skipped those Reaping re-caps. I did a quick scan of District Three, but it was nothing much. Five presented me a hopeful cause, and I decided to keep Simmons in mind. She could probably use an ally. Kia probably wouldn't want me; we were from two different worlds.

Giselle provided an interesting aspect. She would certainly be nice to ally with, and a lady shouldn't have to go into the Games by herself. I knew that on the off-chance that we made it to the top two my honor would have to be questioned, but until then, she would be a nice ally. I could only hope that she would be interested in allying with me.

Now that I knew who to ally with, I could plan for the actual Games. I figured I would work more on physical stuff, having done a lot of manual labor back in Six. While I couldn't lift a cow or anything like that, I could do some work. I also knew that I had a decent memory, having had to memorize things so often in my District.

Then came the object of sponsors. I probably wouldn't be the most attractive to sponsors. I wasn't that physically attractive, and my personality didn't seem like something that the Capitol would be interested in. I would have to hope that Giselle would attract sponsors, because I certainly wouldn't.

I hoped I could find an ally who would be useful in medicine and strategizing, since that wasn't my forte. My current plan pretty much stank, but it would be better than running in blindly. I figured I wouldn't win, but at least I would go down fighting. Fighting wasn't something I could back down from, so I had that going for me.

I decided to switch to happier topics. When I got home, Bianco should be waiting for me. I would understand if she found a new man, since they must be swooning over her and she would probably assume I was dead. I hoped that she wouldn't, though, so that I could return to my fair maiden. I could certainly improve her spot in life. Maybe if she was dating a Victor she could have short hair.


	22. District 7 Train Rides

**Giselle Parkfields (17) D7F**

When I got onto the train I walked straight to my mentor. I needed to get a plan going. I didn't have time to fuss about going to a death-match. I didn't have time to be scared. I needed to be prepared for the Games, not my hopeful return home.

Cassia was sitting leisurely at a table, waiting for us to reach her. Carver got there a couple of seconds behind me, and we both waited for him. Despite my wanting to get planning right away, having to re-explain everything to him when he got to us wouldn't save us any time. He sat down and looked around. "None of us need to introduce ourselves, I assume," he proclaimed.

Cassia nodded. "She's Giselle, you're Carver. You both need plans. Both of you are striking children. Use that to your advantage. The Capitol loves people who are hot. Attract sponsors. Don't be ashamed to show some skin."

Both of us nodded and Cassia continued. "I think I'll be of more use to you if we work alone. Then I can work more with your strengths, and then you don't know each other's secrets." She looked at us for approval and smiled when we nodded again. "Carver, Giselle is first since she got here first, ok?"

Carver said goodbye and left. Although he didn't confirm that I could go first, he had made it clear. Giselle turned to face me more straight-on. "Tell me a strength and a weakness."

"Just one, or all I can think of?" I asked.

"Just your biggest strength and your worst weakness. I only need those for now."

"Well, I guess I'm resourceful," I replied, having to think for a second. I didn't have very many strengths, but it was hard to decide which was the best. "And I can't fist-fight very well," I concluded honestly. I had never tried hand-to-hand combat.

Cassia nodded. "Simple plan. Don't worry about working on your resourcefulness then. I noticed you halted; being resourceful is useful. You can touch it up if you need to, but stick to knowing something in close quarters at first. You need to be able to defend yourself up close. Not necessarily hand-to-hand, but knives or even spears are better up close than nothing."

"Ok, I think. What should I show the Gamemakers? What should my interview angle be?"

"Show the Gamemakers something weapon-y, since they like that," she replied flippantly. "Your interview angle should be hot or confident. It's the only thing sponsors are interested in."

"Ok. Do you think I have a chance?" I questioned hopefully. I thought it was possible, while not likely, that I could return home. Having another person who thought I was actually a contender would be a confidence boost.

"Honestly? Probably not. You need allies. You're resourceful. Yay. Big deal when someone's stabbing you between the eyes. Get weapons and get food. Get allies you can beat. Don't be ashamed. Either you return home a new person or not a person at all."

"All right," I responded, a bit put off by her harshness. I didn't think I was the best tribute, but I didn't think I was _that_ bad. I was from Seven, not Twelve. I ate. "So who should I ally with?"

"Get someone useful but weak so you can kill them when you have to," she said without a bit or remorse.

"Ok." I was getting more and more put off by her, so I decided to leave. "Thanks for all of your help, I have to go prepare," I stated, not knowing what I would be preparing for but wanting an excuse to leave. I was grateful for her help, but she was scary. I wanted no more of her than necessary.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (17) D7M**

I was a bit worried about going into the Games. I was sure everybody was worried, but I was jumping on the bandwagon. I didn't have much preparation for the Games, meaning I would have to train a lot later. "Later" being the week I would get to prepare.

All of these thoughts were running through my head as Giselle walked out of the train car and told me to go to Cassia. I got ready to talk with her, not sure what I was going to be asked. Giselle was visibly distressed, and I was not one to allow that to happen to me.

"Hello," I greeted Cassia, offering her my hand. I didn't want to judge her too early, since that was rude, but I was being cautious as I approached her.

"Yo! Tell me a strength and a weakness."

I was a bit put off by her bluntness, but I thought on it. "Just the biggest two?"

She nodded. "Giselle couldn't get that. I said _a_ and she said "all or one?" Obviously one, I said a!"

I was taken aback by her rudeness, and I wanted just to get up and leave. However, I knew my odds of survival would go down drastically if I didn't have a mentor. I also needed sponsors, so I stayed. "Well, I'm good with an ax, and I know how to take a hit," I squeaked out before I could catch that that was two strengths, not one. "I'm also not very fast," I concluded confidently.

Cassia glared at me for a second. "That was two, but I can work with that. I knew you were good with an ax. You're from Seven! But you can take a hit. Explain," she commanded.

"Well, my dad hit me," I put bluntly. That didn't seem to be a good response, but I didn't know what else to say.

"That's not an explanation. Of course someone hit you. _Explain!_ "

I sighed. "My dad hit me. My dad hit my brother. It was a thing," I explained, not knowing what else to say. I thought everybody's Dad hit them until they figured out how to stop it. Some just hit harder than others.

"Oh my goodness you stink at this. Was it punches, was it a regular thing? Do you know how to take a jab? A stab? What if someone hits you on the head?"

"Well, I guess I'm endurant," I replied hesitantly. "I mean, getting jabbed would hurt, but I could roll and then keep going, you know? Oh, explaining." I caught myself not answering her question. "So anyways, yeah, it was a regular thing. Isn't it a regular thing?"

Cassia looked at me, seemingly stunned. "No! Dads don't just hit their kids for no good reason!"

I nodded. "That's why Mom wasn't mad when I punched him in the face?"

She nodded. "Yeah! You had a good reason to, didn't you?"

"Well, he was gonna hit me and her some more. I couldn't let that happen!"

Cassia looked at my with pity for a while and then smiled. "I have an idea. You were protecting your mother?"

"And brother," I confirmed.

"Tell the Capitol that. Sponsors will eat up a sob story!" She told me with surprising enthusiasm.

"All right. I guess I could use sponsors."

"Everyone could use sponsors. Even Careers," she snapped at me.

"All right. Thanks for the help. I'm gonna go talk with Giselle now," I announced, wanting to get away from this whirlwind of emotions. Some emotions were fine, but this woman was confusing. Besides, I got what I needed. Now I had to help Giselle.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update! I wasn't really feeling it earlier, so I didn't write much. I'm back now though, and I hope to update more often.**

 **Little note, by helping Giselle I meant ask her what's wrong and that stuff. I just thought that the ending I had was a good place to leave off.**


	23. District 8 Train Rides

**Rybbon Marbroox (17) D8F**

Sisal and I had agreed straight away that we should split up until the Games began. That way we could cover more ground and have better odds of winning. I got the female mentor and Sisal got the male mentor, and we would switch later so we got plenty of advice. It seemed like a solid plan.

It turned out, Ember Hem was pretty cool. She was more of the quiet type than I was, but I quickly learned that I could live with that. She seemed to like listening and I liked talking. "So, how do I win the Games?" I asked her, wanting to get all of the boring stuff out of the way.

"Hide. You're smaller than some tributes and you definitely don't want to get noticed by the Careers. If nobody can see you, nobody can attack you. If you're one hundred percent confident that you can take someone, and you don't think they've seen you, attack them. It would keep the Gamemakers off your back, mainly buying you time until your next fight."

"I guess that makes sense," I replied hesistantly. It did seem like a wise plan, and it was better than anything I had thought up. But I didn't want to be a coward like my father insisted women were. I wanted to get out there and fight like I knew I would have to. "What should I practice?" I continued, veering off from the topic. I figured she was right, but I wasn't ready to confirm anything yet.

"You should practice snares and traps. They're easier and safer than weapons," she answered confidently. She seemed a bit proud of her statement, like she knew from experience that that was the best option. I assumed that that was how she had won her Games.

"Should I learn ropemaking, or do I assume the Arena would be good?" It seemed like a stupid question, but I wouldn't want to waste time learning a skill I didn't need. I might be able to afford a bit of wasted time, what with my alliance, but I didn't want to drag us down at all.

"Practice it a bit, but don't stress about it too much. A basic vine will do the job well, and that doesn't involve any skill at all."

"All righty! Do you have any random tips or tricks I should know?" I questioned, eager to learn everything she thought I needed.

"Appeal to the sponsors. Stand out in the interview, but hide during the Games with hopes that the sponsors won't care. And ditch that Sisal boy. I know it's harsh, but he's dead weight. You can't care for him if he breaks down again."

I flinched at her harshness. I couldn't just ditch Sisal! "Thank you for your advice," I said, forcing politeness into my tone.

She looked at me intently. "Sisal is going to die. There's nothing you can do about it. Leave him right away. It'll be better for you."

I stood up and left without another word. I didn't want to cry in front of her, and I knew I was about to cry. I knew she was right. Sisal didn't stand a chance. I knew I would be more likely to win if I left him, but I couldn't just let him die. It wasn't worth it.

I burst into tears in a hallway, quickly covering my face with my hands. I didn't know why I did that. It wasn't like anybody would think I wasn't crying. But I did it all the same, sobbing and crying as I finally realized the full truth.

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford (15) D8M**

As I waited for Elias to be ready for me, I stroked the book my dad had given me. He was right about it being my favorite book. Of course, that was because it was the best book in the world. I could clearly remember all of the long nights my dad had spent toiling over making the book right, getting everything down properly. He wanted to capture the story perfectly, and he had done it expertly.

I sighed as I read the first page for the millionth time. In the book, a little boy got over his brain problem. I knew that now I would never get over mine. I figured I would die in the Arena, like so many other children. I just hoped that I could make a splash. I didn't want to just be "that one kid with epilepsy." I wanted to be Sisal. If I was going to die, I wanted to be remembered as something good, even just some useful ally. That was better than just the kid with brain problems.

Elias finally got out of whatever discussion he had been in and called me to him. I got up readily and brainstormed questions I could ask him. I didn't know what kind of person he was. He had won his Games before I was old enough to know what was going on, so I could only hope that he would be useful.

I walked into the room confidently, wanting to seem like I knew what I was doing. First impressions were important, after all. He didn't seem impressed, and I shrugged. "How do I win the Games?"

He stared at me intently. "You don't. Nobody wins the Games."

I sighed for a second and then composed myself. I didn't want my mentor to get under my skin. I had to pretend to be a serious person in order to learn, but that didn't mean getting frustrated. "How do I live through the Games?"

"You probably won't do that either."

I hissed slightly, trying to keep the volume to a minimum. "How can I increase my chances at winning the Games?" I asked him, thinking about happy things in order to keep myself from being annoyed. I was already planning for the rest of my questions. It was becoming apparent that I would need to be extremely specific.

"Well, learn a weapon," he instructed me. "Preferably a stabby thing. Stabbing people is fun," he replied, looking at me with a face of pure insanity.

I moved myself slightly farther away from him and continued asking questions. "A throwing 'stabby thing' or a handheld 'stabby thing'?"

"A throwing stabby thing. Then you can attack from afar to weaken and defeat them up close!" He shouted, excited. I didn't know what was up with this guy, but I was happy I wasn't in his Games.

"Ok. I should learn to throw, and what else should I do?"

He stared at me oddly. "Yer not gonna win, though. I can always tell, and yer not the one this year. I shouldn't even waste my time. You won't be getting no sponsors from me. Ask Ember, but don't cry to me."

I ignored him. His insults didn't matter. "Thank you for your help, sir!" I got up and left, wanting to find Rybbon. Rybbon was better than him. I could actually have fun with Rybbon.


	24. District 9 Train Rides

**Hyacinth Moraain (14) D9F**

Flora seemed to like me. I didn't know why; I wasn't really saying much. I figured she might like my manners. I had enough money back in Nine to worry about things like not putting your elbows on the table and not chewing with your mouth open. Many people probably didn't know those things. The thought hit me hard, but I had to accept it. Either I would get home and be able to help them, or I would be dead.

Flora didn't know too much that would be useful during the Games, but I didn't really mind. There wasn't much I could do in the two weeks until the Games anyways. She taught me some useful stuff about less useful parts of the Games, mainly getting sponsors. I knew getting sponsors was important, but why have a weapon I couldn't use or food I shouldn't eat? What should I focus on?

"Now, make sure to smile whenever you get a sponsor gift. We don't want to sponsor someone who's ungrateful. And make sure to eat, eat, eat! We don't like boring tributes who don't do anything, and starving tributes are no fun. Make sure to stay well nourished and hydrated. Do you have all that?"

I nodded mutely. "Should I ask for things or just wait?" I murmured, not sure if sponsors would come to me or if I should ask.

"Well, if you've already been sponsored, don't be greedy. However, if you're dying or something, feel free to ask us! We want to be helpful but, I can't stress this enough, be grateful! Eat the food we give you. Smile. It's lovely to know we're doing well."

I was a bit annoyed at her for thinking these things. I didn't mind her saying them; they were useful to know. But did she really think she was doing the right thing by giving food to the kids she was watching die? I guess it was better than nothing, but it wasn't too much. "How should I appear? Should I be friendly or quiet or what?" Andres rolled his eyes at the question, but I didn't mind. It was an important thing to know.

"We like friendly, outgoing people. After all, if you come back, we want you to talk to us! If you're going to ignore us, why bother saving you?" I could tell by her expression that she was serious, and it befuddled me. How could you think that?

"I find it hard to be loud," I told her. Cardamon and Cecily were always loud, and I quickly learned that fading into the background was more safe than making myself known.

"Oh. That _is_ a problem," Flora said with a worried expression. "I guess you can try to seem compassionate? Do you have any connections back in your District?"

"Well, I have my sisters, but they're older than me." I couldn't mention Marley, since I didn't want to use her.

"You don't have to point that out, you know," she whispered to me like it was the biggest secret in the wolrd she was revealing.

"I guess. I just say 'I need to get back home to my sisters?'"

"Exactly! People will love that, and it'll give you and excuse to be boring. Just try that, ok?"

"Sure! Thank you for all of your help, Miss Flora. Do you know what's most likely to be sponsored? Just out of curiosity, of course." I was super curious. Would sponsors give me useless weapons or epic food?

"Well, we like giving people things they like. We like to give people toys, or face paint, or ice cream! It's super fun," she informed me happily. "Of course, I can't sponsor you, but I do my best."

I had to hold myself back from rolling my eyes. I wouldn't need toys in the Arena, it's an Arena. "That's interesting. Might I be able to make a request for what you send to me?"

Flora pondered my question for a while before answering. "I guess, but I won't make any promises."

"Well, could you mostly send me food, water, and weapons? They would be better to spend money on, since they increase my chances more, and you wouldn't want to waste sponsor money on a walking corpse," I stated, knowing that she would most likely only respond if I used Capitolite persuasion.

"I guess. But I might still send you some candy, since candy's fun."

"Deal! Thanks again!" I got up and walked into my room. I had Reaping re-caps to watch and opponents to scope out.

* * *

 **Andres Patino (15) D9M**

I was going into the Hunger Games. I could handle that. I might not win, but it would be fun, and I would get to see tha Capitol, which was a lot more than most people in my District could say. I also got to play with all the cool things on the train, which was pretty epic.

Of course, I wanted a chance at winning. I heard that certain tribute was trying to make a large alliance, and I definitely wanted in. I figured she would probably take anyone, since she wanted her alliance to be as big as possible. I just had to be certain she was interested. "Hey, Magpie? I'm Andres, from Nine. I was wondering if you would be interested in allying."

Magpie shrugged. "Sure. I'm interested in a lot of allies. You'd have to get the rest of the alliance to agree, but I'm good."

I nodded. She walked away without explaining who the rest of the alliance was, and I started travelling the cars. I didn't know who would be in an alliance with her. She wasn't terrible or anything, I just didn't know who would be particularly interested.

I quickly found out that the other cars had more games on them than ours. _Not cool, Capitolites!_ I thought as I started playing a computer game. The dude from Three came up to me and destroyed me at a two-player game, but I didn't mind. It was amazing to see his fingers fly as he mastered every move. I was getting ready to introduce myself, but he was called away by a feminine voice I might've recognized, but I couldn't be sure. There were a lot of people on the train.

As I walked I thought about Flora's words. She had said I should be friendly. I could manage that. I tried to be a pretty friendly guy, and most of the people in my District would agree that I was. She may as well have told Einstein to be smart. I could stay in my comfort zone there.

My biggest problem would be killing people. I knew I was physically capable of it, but mentally, not so much. After all, it would be a big deal to take someone's life. Some of them weren't too much older than my siblings, and that would have a big impact.

I tried to steel myself mentally for what would come. I knew it wouldn't be easily, but I had to do my best. After all, I had to get back home to my mother. My dad was going to be useless until I got home, so I had to win. If it meant coming home changed I could handle it. It was better than coming home in a box.

I forced my mind to switch to happier thoughts as I continued wandering through the train cars. I found a bouncy ball machine and promptly made about a hundred bouncy balls of varying colors. I picked them all up by shoving them in my pockets and down my shirt, stuffing them under my chin and using my full arm span. I carried them back to my room slowly, and then dropped them all.

They went everywhere. I accidentally shattered a mirror, but one of the balls called an Avox for me. _Oops._ They bounced around my entire room, destroying my freshly made bed and generally wreaking havoc. All in all, it was amazing. I hadn't had that many toys before in my life. Now I had them everywhere.

The Avox came in and glared at me, and them helped me sweep up the mirror shards. I slowly gathered the bouncy balls and the Avox helped me with that as well. We put all of them into one of my nightstand drawers. Judging my her expression I was supposed to clean them out later. Of course, I had no intention of doing that. I could only imagine the next tribute's face when he was greeted by tons of balls.

* * *

 **Poor Andres. Walked right by Faris and didn't even notice :( On the same note, Yoooo Faris's owner. Can Andres ally with him? I'm way too lazy to find you and mail you tonight, but if you don't respond I'll do it tomorrow.**


	25. District 10 Train Rides

**Evie Sage (14) D10F**

I hugged my knees to my chest when I got on the train. I was going into the Games, likely blindly. I wasn't much of a planner, so I would have to trust in allies for that. I thought I might be able to get one, but with my skill set, they likely wouldn't be very good.

Shuddering, I closed my eyes while thinking about my dad. He had been in the Games, so I knew what they were. My mother always told me he was a valiant soldier. He had died on the ground like a dog. Nobody wanted to help him. He couldn't even get sponsored a note. People might say that kids couldn't truly understand the Games, but they were wrong.

I got jolted out of my thougts when Bessie sat down beside me. "What do ya need, Evie?"

I looked at her askance for a second before confiding in her. "I'm scared."

Bessie chuckled. "Now, hun, that's nothin' to be afraid of! Everybody's scared for the Games." She leaned in and whispered, "I hear even the Careers get scared. I was scared, too, and I'm still scared sometimes."

"But you're a Victor!" I protested. "How can you still be scared?"

"Well, the Games are a scary place. I worry for the kids goin' in, of course, but sometimes nightmares happen. Again, even the Careers have bad thoughts about the Games. Nero would never admit it, but he was a screamer when he got back. Heck, he was a screamer in his Games!" she laughed. "But you should be fine," she reassured me.

"I can't plan," I told her. "And I can't run. If I get attacked I'm doomed!"

"Naw. There's gotta be something you excel at! Lemme guess... You like traps," she finally continued, smiling at me.

"I wouldn't say I _excel_ at them," I replied slowly. "But I know a little bit about them, yeah." I tucked my chin into my knees while I waited for her response.

She scooted a little closer, and I resisted the urge to scoot away. I wasn't adverse to her as a person, but I wasn't exactly a touchy-feely person. "Naw! I'm sure you're great at those things. Probably caught some rabbits back at home, too!"

"No!" I shrieked. I could never hunt a rabbit. They were too much like my horses.

"Well, I'm sure you could catch some ugly old frogs," Bessie quickly recovered.

"I guess, yeah," I agreed.

"Now, don't ya feel better?"

. "Thanks. What do you know about the Games?"

"Well, seeing as I lived through 'em, I know a bit. First of all, don't die." For most people that would be annoying to hear, but I could tell she was being lighthearted, so I laughed. "And don't run into the Cornucopia. That's a no. You'd get injured." I knew she deliberately didn't say mortally, but I minded less now. Things were less scary with Bessie around.

"What's your talent?" I asked her when she ran out of advice. I didn't want to be alone on the train, and I knew she would stay if I asked her a question.

"I'm an artist. I'm no good at it, but the Capitolites sure love my work. My latest painting is "Red line on White Paper. It's deep and thoughtful," she joked.

"Is it seriously just a red line?"

Bessie nodded. "Yeah. Capitolites are crazy. The Capitol sells my work for wild cash and the paint is dirt cheap. But, hey! It works for me and it works for them. Just gotta make life work," she advised. "Gotta make life work."

I smiled. I knew she was right. She got up to leave, and I felt a bit better. I knew I still probably wouldn't win the Games, but I could worry about that later. For now, I had to make life work. I could probably improvise in the Games, since my plan would just get me killed anyways. I would follow Bessie's advice to the end.

* * *

 **Nebojsa "Neb" Imanzi (18) D10M**

I had to work on planning. Bessie was talking with Evie, leaving me mentorless. I didn't mind. Bessie would probably just get in the way. I had to work on a plan on my own. Besides, Bessie seemed to nice to accept the fact that a nice guy couldn't win the Games. I would have to be willing to be harsh if I wanted a chance, which I obviously did.

Of course, I could use an ally. I didn't necessarily _need_ one, but one could be useful. They would have to know what they were doing. I was trying to win, not give away charity. If my ally pulled their weight, they could work with me and we could be together. If they turned into a baby or broke something, or if I learned they couldn't kill, they would be out. I didn't need someone pulling me down.

I quickly realized that I should work more on weapons than survival. After all, everyone from Ten knew some survival stuff, and surviving wouldn't get me through the Games, anyways. It would be useful and it would get me a ways, but I would have to fight someone. The Gamemakers wouldn't let me get out of the Games unscathed.

Getting out of the Games unscathed wasn't very important to me. As long as my injuries weren't life-threatening, I would be fine. I could even get injured pretty harshly without being too worried. I was a vet; I knew medicine. Assuming I had access to medicine, of course. I would have to grab some stuff from the Bloodbath.

The Bloodbath was a dilemna. Of course, I wanted all of the precious items stocked in the Cornucopia. However, it might not be worth the risk. I could easily get myself killed if I ran in headfirst. I settled on running in a little bit but darting if someone came too close. Some bandages were not worth causing the wound I intended to save myself from.

Someone knocked on my door, but I ignored them. I was planning. I didn't have time for discussion. If I wanted to talk to people, my door wouldn't be closed. They could talk to me when I started looking for allies. Now it was time to plan. I couldn't do anything else. I was focused.

The person kept knocking, and I finally broke down and let them in. "What is it?!" I snapped at them. "What do you need?"

I was greeted by Bessie backing away from the door. "Whoa, I just wanted to help. I figured you weren't hearin' me, so I knocked louder." She grinned at me, and I wasn't sure if it was taunting or playful.

"Well, I don't need help. I'm planning now. I need to concentrate." Bessie looked at me like she had a big secret, but she walked away without saying anything else. I slowly realized that she would probably be useful, being a Victor, but I shrugged it off. I was going to plan this. I would have to fix our relationship if I wanted sponsors, but for now, I was fine.

I wanted to plan every possible aspect, but I wasn't sure what else to plan for. A weapon should give me food and protection. I guessed that I could use water, and I hoped I would have time to cover that. A weapon would be a higher priority for me, but water would be nice. Maybe the Arena would be full of fresh water. I knew it was unlikely, but it would certainly be lovely. A guy could hope.

* * *

 **Yoooo LCS! Evie is supposed to ally with Dove. Is that fine by you?**

 **Also, I updated the list to show current alliances and who was seeking what allies if anyone cares.**


	26. District 11 Train Rides

**Magpie Orchards (15) D11F**

As I sat in the train, I thought about my odds of winning. I knew they were slim. I was going to try my best, but I wasn't likely to win. I decided that I would go down fighting and I would go down useful, since that was all I could hope for.

I needed allies. Lots of allies. Then the Games would be more bearable, since we would all have friends and we wouldn't have to be alone. The more allies I had, the more we could focus on our strengths. I could work on learning more plants, and my allies could worry about things like fighting, which I stank at.

Things worked out pretty nice for me, what with Faris wanting to ally. I had to talk to him since we seemed compatible, and he finally agreed. I hoped he like the alliance and not annoyed that he was with me, but I thought he would. He seemed cool. Andres also seemed pretty fun, and I thought we would like each other. He seemed useful, too, which was nice. He was probably much more adept than me. Maybe he even had a chance, whar with his likely survival skills.

I knew I shouldn't be thinking the way I was. I should try to stay optomistic and try my best in the Games. I should be looking forward to my chance at victory. I just knew that I probably wouldn't win. I stayed bright and cheery on the outside, like I wanted to, and I stayed pretty happy on the inside. I was decent at pushing away my worries. I wanted to be happy, since that was more fun. I just worried a bit about the Games. They were logical to worry about.

Besides, there were a lot of other things to think about. I had no idea what I was going to be for the parade. I had to make a plan for getting sponsors. I didn't know what I would be for my interview. I would probably just get a nice dress, but I might get something epic. Maybe I would get my hair dyed or something crazy like that. I could probably even go skydiving, if I wanted to. Which I didn't, but I could all the same.

I couldn't imagine how wonderful the Capitol would be. It could be full of toys, for all I knew. It have any candy I ever wanted, which wasn't much. Candy was rare enough in Eleven that the kids learned to not even want it. I wished for chocolate now and then, but not much else. Chocolate was definitely the best of the candies.

I saw a button by my bed and pressed it. It gave me options for certain foods, including desserts. I pressed it and it gave me more options. _Chocolate?!_ **Chocolate** was an option! I pressed the button and even more chocolates popped up. Chocolates of every kind I knew and some I didn't know came up. Of course, I selected multiple kinds of delicious chocolate. You could never have too much chocolate, after all.

I sat in my bed eating chocolate and enjoying the softness of my sheets. I dropped a little bit of my chocolate on the sheets, but I didn't think anyone would care. I was in a Capitol train. They probably had plenty of extra sheets. I called an Avox in anyways, and I smiled brightly at her when she entered the room. I didn't talk to her, since she could respond, except I thanked her and wished her a lovely day. She smiled back at me, and it made me happy. At least the Avox girl liked me.

* * *

 **Redd Santorini (12) D11M**

The train was awesome. There were a million and one things for me to play with. There were tons of food options, of course, but there were also toys. Bouncy balls could be made instantly. I leanred that stuffed animals were everywhere. The shower could switch from zero degrees to ninety-seven in a second. It also had a lot of scents, too. I probably smelled disgusting because of all the wonderful scents I used. I kept switching them when I had used them for a couple of seconds. They got boring quickly.

I found Harvest and asked him for planning help. He sat down and asked me questions, starting with "What are you good at?" I replied honestly, saying I could hide and sprint, but not too much else. I was a twelve-year-old from Eleven, after all. I was lucky my legs were long enough to give me that.

"What do you stink at?" He asked me bluntly.

"I can't really concentrate," I told him, already bored. Today had been exciting and I was tired out. I could use time for my brain to recuperate. I wouldn't be able to focus until I was well-rested. "And I'm twelve, so there's that. And I like fun things, so danger isn't considered. It's not worth my time."

Harvest glared at me. "Focus, son. Calculating danger is important in the Games." I nodded absentmindedly. I could see a bug crawling up the door, and I would much rather be watching that then talking about strengths and weaknesses.

"What about sponsors? How do I get those?"

"You probaby don't," he muttered to himself before continuing his discussion with me. "Anyways, act cute. Being twelve is a weakness, but when it comes to sponsors, it's invaluable. What do you think you could use?"

"Probably a weapon or some rope," I answered him, unsure of myself. "I mean, I know some food items, but I could use something to hunt with."

Harvest looked at me incredulously, but didn't say anything for a while. Finally, he said, "You should probably try to get a weapon and not worry about snares. Snares take a long time to catch food, and in the Games you need food as soon as you hunt."

I knew what he was saying in code. He was telling me that I would leave the snares because I would get bored. I wasn't insulted. It was true. Waiting wasn't exactly my thing. "But hey, I'm pretty good with weapons!" I bragged. "I have great aim. And I have good hand-eye coordination, since I love juggling."

"You can juggle?" He asked me, seeming honestly surprised. I nodded, and he continued. "When did you learn that?"

"I learned it a lot of places. I learned it when working. I learned it at home. A little bit of everything," I replied, shrugging. I was happy he was interested, and I wasn't lying. Juggling was certainly my forte. Everyone said it would be useless, but Harvest seemed to like it. At least one adult thought it was cool.

"Work on your aim. It's important. And get sponsors. You need them. That's all I can probably tell you. Now go play with your bugs." I nodded, jumping up to watch the bug. It was crawling around so interestingly compared to Harvest. Harvest was boring, just like the Games. Candy was fun.

* * *

 **Yooooo Faris, Magpie and Andres' owner. Can Redd join the alliance? And to Redd's owner, can he join the alliance? They seem compatible.**


	27. District 12 Train Rides

**Leonardo Hill (12) D12M**

I knew I could do this. This was no big deal. Sure, I'd rather be at home eating bonbons, but the Games would be bearable. All I needed was a nice plan and some time to think. It wasn't like I even needed to train. I just needed a helper. Someone who was useful and strong but mentally weak, since they were the easiest to take down.

I had wanted to use my District partner as my ally, but she was small and would be useless. Anyways, she was too busy having fun with Bellepheron to be doing anything useful. She always glared at me, too. She hunched over her food and seemed to hate me. It was like she was an animal. I wanted to yell at her to back off.

Anyways, the Games should be a piece of cake. I would run into the Bloodbath and grab a weapon, assuming it looked safe. Safe was a relative term when used about a thing called the Bloodbath, but if I was relatively safe, I would in. If it wasn't, I would dart and have my ally grab me something. No big deal; just a minor setback. I wouldn't be able to stab anyone during the Bloodbath then, sure, but I would have to deal with it. They could all be killed later.

Bellepheron was talking with Smudge for an unknown reason. Smudge wasn't worth her time. Bellepheron needed the future Victor to like her. Smudge wasn't the future Victor. Even if I wasn't the future Victor, Smudge certainly wouldn't be. She was a wimp and she didn't stand a chance. I didn't know what Bellepheron was doing. She had the simple task of being an escort and she managed to screw that up.

Desperately, I wished that we had a Victor. I would talk to him and convince him to use all of the sponsor money on me. I would convince Bellepheron of the same thing. She probably wouldn't mind making us look pretty and standing back while the mentor took her place. But the odds weren't ever in our favor, and we were left to a ditzy escort.

The best ally would be a strong laborer, probably from Seven or from Eleven. They had to do all that plowing and lumberjacking, so they would be the most useful during the Games. The Careers might be immune to manipulation of even my level, and I couldn't be too safe. I didn't want to get killed because I was an idiot and made enemies of the Careers. They could mind their own business while I minded mine.

I learned that this year's tributes were pretty interesting. Most of them were worthless, but interesting. That Redd dude seemed cool. He screamed that he _didn't_ want volunteers, which didn't happen often. It also meant I didn't want him. He would get himself killed and I would need to get another ally, which wasn't worth my time. Getting another ally would be easily completed, except it would mean approaching someone mid-Games, which I hadn't the slightest intention of doing unless I was killing them.

Carver seemed like the best person. He looked strong and was surprisingly calm when he was Reaped. He would be the tribute I forced to be my ally. He would be useful for getting food, and I could sit around and eat the bonbons I convinced Bellepheron to send me. In all, the Games would be a piece of cake.

* * *

 **Smudge Kells (12) D12F**

So. Much. Food. I stocked all the food I could in my room. I had candy. I had cake. I even had meat and bread that wasn't from a dumpster. I hadn't seen this much food in my life. I hadn't dreamed of this nice food in my life. I loved in. My stores could be found in all the drawers in my room. Cupboards? Food. Under the bed? Food. I loved it.

My District partner kept staring at me, and I didn't know why. He tried to take my food once, though. I glared at him ever since. He couldn't have my food. I needed it. He obviously didn't. He had a nice tux on. I still had my rags on, but Bellepherone was taking care of that. She seemed to like me.

While she tried to arrange me a nice outfit, I played with the ring she had given me. It was a lovely ring. It was the prettiest thing I had ever owned. It was prettier than the dress Bellepherone was wearing, although she didn't know it and I was smart enough not to tell her. Nobody wanted to know that they weren't wearing the prettiest thing around.

I didn't like it that Bellepherone had left, but I could handle it for a while. If she wasn't back pretty soon I would go and find her. We shouldn't split up. She was too nice and, while full of food, the train was scary. I didn't want her to leave me.

I reveled in my riches while I waited for her return. They were so great. Apparently ice cream was delicious and soft enough that my teeth didn't fall out. I ate tons of the stuff and put random things on it, like whipped cream and more food. I ate meat too, of course, but ice cream was particularly delicious.

Bellepherone came back in and I smiled. "Hi!"

"Hi, Smudge. I got you some clothes," Bellepherone piped as she handed me a beautiful dress. People said she was a sad escort, but she seemed happy to me.

"Thanks!" I got ready to change into my blue dress, and Bellepherone led me to a weird, small room. I accepted it as part of Capitolite culture and changed in there while she turned around. The dress fit me nicely, and I didn't know how she got it so quickly. I didn't mind, though. I figured the Capitol did what it wanted. "Can we talk?"

Bellepherone seemed stunned by my question, but she nodded. "What about?"

"What is Capitol like?" I asked her. I was only a train and it was amazing already, so I was curious of what else there was.

"Oh, it's amazing! It's nothing like District Twelve. There's food everywhere, and there are lots of gems and lights. Things are glittery and warm, and the people are actually happy!"

"That sounds good," I replied, awed just by the thought of it. "Are there many pretty things like ring?"

"YES! There are tons of cool outfits. We should try to make sure your parade and interview outfit are awesome. I don't have much say, being an escort, but I can ask. I'm sure your designers won't mind. You'd look awesome in everything."

I understood the majority of the words Bellepherone said, and I replied to the best of my ability. "I would like ask. Very cool outfit and much food?"

"Yes. You'll never run out of food in the Capitol. Eat as much as you'd like. You don't have to worry about getting fat."

I had no idea what this 'fat' thing was, but it sounded fun if starving people couldn't have it. "Good. Food is good."

Bellepherone got up to leave, and I jumped up. "No! Stay!" I begged her. She couldn't leave me again. I had just made a friend.

"All right. I can stay as long as you need. Leonardo wouldn't be interested in me anyways. Do you want to learn more about the Capitol?"

I nodded. I wanted to know everything about this rich wonderland. Bellepherone must be magic if she came from it.

* * *

 **Yay! I finished train rides. Little note for those who hadn't noticed, my updates could be daily or every other day. It all depends on my mood, but I try not to take longer than that.**


	28. I Need YOU!

**Some Capitolite**

Yay! The Games are coming. What fun. What emotion. Drama. Games. Everything would be fun. Yay.

* * *

 **That beginning paragraph was nothing. One person yelled at me for "illegal chapters" so I did that. Cool me. Anyways, I need YOU! Next up is a stylist chapter. Guess what I don't have? Stylists. This is my first POV and I forgot to make stylists. Luckily, I now have a way for you to earn sponsor points. If you submit a stylist (I literally just want names, I'll decide District and stuff) and it gets accepted, two points for you! Happiness and sunshine!**


	29. Stylists

**Caelina Livantus**

Grace was a fox. Ideas were running through my head as soon as she volunteered. One was jewels, right? I could incorporate that into my outfit. Rubies would looked amazing with her. Minos would be a little bit harder, but I could work with him. Careers don't mind wigs. They couldn't. I was one of the luckiest stylists. My tributes would always look _fine._

* * *

 **Sonoma Cleric**

I was working with Two again. I couldn't do boring old Peacekeepers again, though. That got me bad ratings last year. I had to think and ponder about Minos for a while, but I got a new idea. "Hey Minos, I have an idea!"

He stared at my idea and seemed overjoyed. He almost cried! He loved it. Dove was so much easier. I could just make her have a cute dress. She would make it look fierce. She knew how to pull anything off.

* * *

 **Uranus Glaze**

Three was supposed to be easy. The Capitol should've loved it when I made my last tribute look like a TV. I figured I would have to do something else, though, because they hated it. It turned out, Norah and Faris worked at a genetics lab. I could work with that. What color were these things? It didn't matter. My job was to make them fabulous, not realistic.

* * *

 **Kohl Augustine**

Serena was a Siren? I could use that. Sirens liked shipwrecks, right? With her body, that would be beautiful. Sebastian was a different problem. He was hot, and I had to show that off. But I couldn't have them wearing the same thing! I took his previously made suit and threw it in the trash. Sebastian would know what I meant when I showed him his outfit. He had to. Careers were smart.

* * *

 **Jezebel Esther**

Simmons was a doll. She sat there and cried, but once she was done, she was lovely. I had to give her the best possible chance of sponsors. I couldn't let her die. "Do you mind if I die your hair?"

"Sure. Why?"

"It's a secret. But trust me, you will be one of the showcase tributes. Help me put this gel in your hair." Isaac was no big deal. He pretty much stayed neutral with me, so I made him look nice enough that I didn't lose my job. I made sure he wouldn't compete with Simmons, though. She needed all the help she could get.

* * *

 **Estee Lauder**

Kia had to be something as amazing as she was. I had to think for a long time before I could give her the beautiful outfit I designed. I knew she would love it, and she did. She turned all red and smiled at me. I looked away while she changed, and she was a doll in her clothes. I was so good with the kids. Mustang would have to match Kia. He seemed to like his outfit. They kept playing with it together. The Capitolites would love that. I did well this year.

* * *

 **Sephora Hyler**

Giselle was tall, like a tree. Her hair would look lovely with whatever I did to it, so that was no problem. But how could I make a tree gorgeous like she was? Trees were lame. I would have to find a way, though. People didn't like it when I used a block of wood as an outfit. Carver was so much easier. I gave him a normal old suit, and he smiled. I ripped the sleeves off and he smiled less, but he still smiled. Tributes didn't seem to understand that we only liked the hot ones.

* * *

 **Revlon Kosmix**

The fabric District would be easy to design for, right? Wrong! People weren't interested in cute little patchwork dresses. I had to be extra creative or I was dull. Rybbon provided the perfect opportunity for that. I made her a cute little dress that was patched with fabric. It was nothing like a patchwork dress at all. Since I had done the female so well, I could have some fun with Sisal. Fabric needed thread. Kids love string. Hopefully this would do well in the Capitol, since I was toast if I failed again.

* * *

 **Lucullus Pedalite**

How do you make grain beautiful? I tried year after year, and never quite got it right. Hyacinth made things a bit easier. Her dark hair made a sharp contrast to the golden wheat. She needed a hat. Hats were amazing. Andres was sure to love what I did to him. Wheat was easy to weave. He put it on a did a happy dance. Hyacinth quickly ushered him away for some odd reason. She told me to give him a shirt, so I reluctantly did. Tributes were so weird. The shirt didn't match the robe! I guess people from Nine didn't have a fashion sense.

* * *

 **Narcissa Belfluer**

How to work with Ten? I could make Evie a cow. Everybody from Ten loved cows. I told her about my idea, but she politely declined. Since she was so sweet, she could have it her way. I could force myself to think of something new for a lovely lady like her. Lucullus would love my outfit. Evie's hat would stick out. Nebjosa was a vet. How cool was that? Maybe he would fix my dog if he won. It kept whining! Anyways, a vet was totally Ten, right? Inspiration has hit!

* * *

 **Olay Yallansen**

Magpie was a happy person. She came into my room and beamed at all the dresses. I let her pick out her own outfit, which she did well. Of course, I touched her up a bit. I did all the necessary highlights and makeup. Freckles were a must for anyone from Eleven.

Redd was another deal altogether. "Your name is Redd? Like the color?!"

"Well, it's spelled differently, but yeah."

"Oh my gosh, I _have_ to use that! You like the color red, right?" He didn't have to answer. Everybody liked the things they were named after. He made my job fun. Hopefully Magpie didn't mind how big he was, though. He would be taking up a lot of room.

* * *

 **Rondo Nona**

Leonardo was weird. He came into the room and stared at me, telling me to make him a angel. I couldn't do that! It had nothing to do with Twelve. I had better ideas. He didn't seem to like them, but it didn't matter. I was the stylist, not him. Smudge was much nicer. She came into the room and petted all of the gems I had. She seemed to like everything shiny. That would definitely have to come into play. I had all the shiny fabric possible. But how could I use that for Twelve? "Oh my gosh, Smudge, you're going to be fabulous?"

"That is nice. Thank you. Will I be sparkle and shine?"

I nodded, squealing. "You're gonna be the best tribute there!"

* * *

 **Eleven of these names were submitted to me. Y'all get one guess each and two points if you can guess which one I made.**


	30. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**The Same Random Capitolite From Previous Chapter, now named Creamy Slush**

Eek! The Parade was on! I was freaking out. Me and my friends, Icy and Berree, looked forward to it all year, ever year. It was amazing. We got to see all of the tributes all dolled up and fabulous. We usually chose our favorites here. After all, why sponsor an ugly tribute?

District One came out first, as always. Glacine came out as fabulous as always. She was some red queen thing, and she was pulling it off. Her outfit was skimpy and showy, and she was fabulous. She was bound to be one of the best dressed tributes.

Berree shrieked when she noticed Minos. He was a prince! He fit with Glacine beautifully. He was blowing kisses to all of us! I threw him one of my roses. Most people didn't waste them on District One, since it was early, but I didn't mind. Minos was awesome! He caught my rose and kisses it. He was a strong contender for my sponsoring.

Next came Two. We all sighed when we saw Minos. Two had failed us this year. He was clinging to the side of his carriage in a vain attempt at giving Dove some space. Icy threw him a sympathy rose, and I could see why. He looked miserable. Hopefully the stylist could manage to do better next year.

At least the stylist had done well with Grace. She was strutting her stuff in some weird but gorgeous armor-dress thing. It was lined with gold, and her favorite part was clear. She kept rubbing the lining and making sure it hit the light just right to sparkle. A bunch of roses flew her way, and I knew the boys were liking her.

Norah's dress _moved!_ It was this weird black thing with swirly designs on it. They were a bunch of different colors, like green and blue. The lights were a bit harsh on my eyes, but I didn't mind. The dress was awesome. Faris matched, except he was wearing a lovely suit. He stared at Norah the whole time, and Norah was barely blushing. She thought I wouldn't notice, but I did. Somebody had an admirer. If they were allies, Faris knew what he was doing. The boys would want to compete for Norah's love if she was taken. Three would certainly have a good year.

Serena was blushing harshly in her outfit. She was wearing a tiny little red shirt and volleyball shorts which almost showed her panties. I didn't think it was that bad, but she obviously did. Her cape didn't help. It was so _ugly!_ It was som fishnet with dead fish on it. What was her stylist doing? Four wasn't a starving District, was it?

Obviously her stylist had smartened up with Sebastian. He was dressed like Poseidon, and he kept flexing and showing off for us. He even kissed his muscles. Serena didn't seem to like it, but the crowd was eating it up. He had a big foam trident, and he was trying to work with it. He thrust it at Serena once, and she jumped back even though she obviously knew it was fake. They were a cute couple.

Isaac was cute! Berree threw him a rose before she even had time to comprehend his outfit. It was just a basic black tux with electric flashes on it, but he was epic in it. His eyes matched it so well, was he wearing contacts? Nobody could naturally have eyes that blue. It must be impossible.

Simmons' outfit went more all-out, and Five was clearly portrayed in it. She looked like a lightning bolt. Her hair was all frizzed up and yellow, and she kept flashing. She wasn't old enough to be hot, but she was still kinda cute. I loved the outfits on opposite sides of the effort scale.

District Six was a yawn. Kia was a train conductor. It was nothing new. I mean, nothing exactly like it had been done before, but it was pretty basic. At least it was skimpy enough that the boys got a good look. Mustang was... the train. I facepalmed at the outfit. At least he was having fun with it, though. Kia kept moving her arms and he followed her motions. I didn't think trains worked quite like that, but it was a pretty neat way to recover from a terrible outfit.

Seven was boss this year. Giselle was a tree, but not a lame old tree like last year. She was an awesome tree. She had this green dressed that went down to her waist and then slowly worked into bark that looked connected. She even had a bark tiara, which I loved. I was sure a couple of the boys around us fainted.

Carver was a lumberjack, which was a bit horrifying. Giselle was avoiding him playfully, but it seemed forced. Carver didn't seem to mind, and he also forced himself to play with her, chasing her around the carriage. Lumberjacks didn't usually chase their prey, did they?

What was Eight thinking? Rybbon's dress was a total mess. It had a bunch of different types of fabric, which techinically did represent Eight, but it was also covered in fake gems. They flashed and made it hard for her to move. She was clearly uncomfortable, and one lone rose landed by her feet. Clearly someone pitied her.

Sisal was maybe kinda-sorta okay? He was a roll of fabric, and I could barely see his face. At least he wasn't hideous. It was gold and silver, to at least it was shiny. I would certainly remember it, so I had to give his stylist that.

District Nine had a pretty tribute this year. Hyacinth was dressed in a glowing gold dress that looked like wheat. It was a neat design, since it was at least a little bit abstract. One year someone was field, which was pretty awful. Hyacinth had a little wheat tiara woven nto her hair, and she kept playing with it.

Andres looked awful. His pants were woven out of grain, which had to itch awfully. He had a robe which was also made of grain. His head barely peeked out of his grain collar. His grain trail was so long it hung off the edge of the carriage. The best thing about his outfit had to be his shirt, was was silk. At least that wouldn't be terrible to wear. It wasn't really related to Nine, but it wouldn't make him tear his skin off.

Ten wasn't cows! Evie was a cowgirl, and she was skipping around stage like one. Her shirt was flannel and she had a grey skirt, which all cowgirls must wear. I didn't like grey, but it was better than plaid. Evie had a cute little cowgirl hat which she tipped to the crowd as it walked by. I think one person threw her two roses.

Nebjosa was a... vet? He had a heart heary-thingy around his neck and a white lab coat on. He had a little horse stuffed animal in his arms, which he kept hugging and kissing. He even played with its hair. He looked over bashfully at Evie and offered her the horse, which she took and "rode" on. Ten was awesome this year.

Eleven wasn't cows! Oh. Wait. Eleven's girl faded into the background compared to the other girls. She wore a basic dress and she had a hoe. I assumed she was a farmer? Yawn! Not one rose was thrown her way. At least she had an apple, which was the most colorful thing in her outfit.

Redd was red. He was a tomato. He was doing an odd fruit dance in his tomato and trying to convince Magpie to dance with him. She did. She threw her hoe on the ground and danced along to the weird dance. _He_ got roses. And a lily. Who snuck that in here?

Twelve, Twelve, Twelve, what is wrong with you? Leonardo was a lump of coal. It was big, bulky, ugly, and awful. He could hardly even move. He was glaring at the crowd and crossing his arms. I didn't like him. Screw Leonardo.

Smudge was slightly better. She was a lump of gold. It was still big and bulky, but at least it wasn't ugly. It was shiny and gorgeous. I could tell that she had filled out a little since her Reaping, but that still couldn't be healthy. At least she was thin and fabulous.

I sighed since the Parade was over. I wished the Games could happen more than once a year. Then there would be more action, more drama, and more outfits. The outfits were awesome. I still had one rose, and I threw it at the back of Smudge's head. I liked Smudge. She caught it barely and smiled, smelling it. This was a successful Parade.

* * *

 **Obviously, Creamy Slush is a bit biased. If you need clarification on an outfit (Serena's, for instance, wasn't sent to be ugly) I'd be happy to help clear things up. Also, do you like this Parade format or would you prefer an announcer person?**


	31. Careers in the Pack

**Note: Grace doesn't have a crush on a District boy. Somebody didn't like that, and I wanted to clear it up. She just likes messing with dudes.**

* * *

 **Glacine "Grace" Rockridge (17-18) D1F**

Not everybody could be a leader. I was fine with that. Somebody else could take the place. Of course, I would try to get my way here and there, but I wouldn't have to do all the leading. I could just watch the plot unfold for the most part, only stepping in when necessary. After all, everybody was an idiot sometimes.

Sebastian said we should work with survival skills. I could handle that. I already knew a bit about weapons, being a Career and all that. I was sure all of us knew about weapons, and Sebastian's insight on that surprised me. Most years the Careers stuck with weapons, keeping in a safe zone. Sebastian was smart enough to think otherwise. Sebastian chose first aid, and I chose plants. Some people would probably care about the edible plants more. Nah. I wanted poisonous plants. That would be useful.

It turned out, learning plants was exactly my cup of tea. I loved memorizing things, and that was exactly what plants were. Of course, I had to learn a little about them for a general idea, but everything could be summed up to memorization. I quickly knew the basics and went on to specifics, like which plant did what. I couldn't possibly memorize everything, but I could get a good idea. After all, I'd rather kill someone with poison than just slow them down.

* * *

 **Minos Vella (17) D1M**

Training was fun, but the Center closed. I had mostly perfected my spear technique, and tomorrow I was going to work on plants and snares, like Sebastian advised and like I thought was wise. None of the Careers knew that I hadn't worked on plants today, and they weren't allowed to. I didn't want to seem rebellious, I just thought I should work on spears.

Now it was time for the fun things. That Capitol was full of pets shops. While I couldn't buy anything, being a tribute, I could certainly pet all of the animals. The shop owner would get advertising, and I would get to have some fun before the Games. It was the best of both worlds.

The pet shop was nothing that I expected. I was anticipating normal things, like cats and dogs. The shop had those, of course, but it was also full of weird things. Who wanted a pet crocodile? These people weren't Careers. The croc would kill them in an instant.

After I thought I had petted all of the animals, I saw one cat I hadn't been introduced to. I asked the shopkeeper what that was about, and she said they didn't own it. Nobody did. It was a stray. That meant it was fair game for anyone who wanted it, namely me. I couldn't officially have a cat, but I could care for it until the Games. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!"

The cat came to me slowly, and I gently reached out to it. It curled into my arms and started purring. _Poor thing. Probably hasn't been loved in ages!_ I slowly carried it back to my room and ordered it some food. I wasn't sure what Capitol food a cat could eat, so I ordered it some steak. The cats back at home liked it, and my cat did, too. We cuddled all through the night, until it fell asleep in my arms.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (18) D2M**

I didn't particularly want to leave Shale. After all, we were having a wonderful time bonding. It turned out, she wasn't nearly as interested in the Games as she said she was. She did them the same reason I did: impressing her mom. Only difference was, she got rich and I could still die. I could only hope that I would bring my mother pride and keep myself alive.

Sebastian said we should stick with survival. He meant plants and water, but my place was survival, too. Of course, we probably wouldn't need a shelter, since we had the Corncucopia, but who was to say it wouldn't be stupid? After all, it could burn up or something. We would need a back-up plan. At least, that's what all of the Careers would hear if they asked me.

Honestly, I didn't care in the least about how to build a shelter. What I wanted to know about was the possible biomes. Two was cool and all, but it was boring. The same could be said about the train ride. There was a lot of world to see, and I could easily die before I got the chance. I may as well study the areas from afar. If nothing else, I would be able to point out some of the important things to my allies.

My favorite place had to be the forest, despite my having seen it a lot back in the District. The life there was amazing. I wished I had seen it enough to have snagged a picture of it in my sketchbook. The animals were beautiful, and they blended into the plants well enough that they wouldn't be too hard to draw. That had to be the best place in the world.

* * *

 **Serena "Siren" Hasvak (18) D4F**

Sebastian said we should focus on survival. Judging by the look in Glacine's eyes, she had the same opinion I did. Whatever we did didn't matter. We were Careers. The training could touch us up, of course, but we already knew almost everything the Capitol could offer. None of us could afford to be seen as enemies of the pack, though, and we certainly didn't want to be kicked out. We may as well just let Sebastian think he was in control.

Glacine went to poisonous berries. Ambrose went to shelters. Sebastian went to first aid. That left me with things like snares. I didn't mind that in the least. I already knew a lot of knots from my sailing times. All I had to do was learn how to put them into action. In fact, snares would be nice, since they would remind me of Four and keep me calm. Anything calming would be nice in the Arena, since there would be a lot of stress on every side. Even Careers knew only one of us came out alive.

It turned out, snares and sailing didn't intertwine very much. Almost all my knowledge was useful for was the fact that it helped me know how to work a rope. A lot of the knots were entirely different, and I had to do things in a different style. I didn't much mind that, either. Training was more useful than I had expected. The Careers could learn something from the Capitol, after all.

* * *

 **Sebastian Wright (18) D4M**

The Careers were pretty cool. They all accepted me as leader, which was certainly a good decision. After all, I seemed to be the most knowledgeable of the lot. I couldn't underestimate my opponents, of course, but most of them didn't seem enthusiastic. That would be a burden during the Games. I seemed to be the only one that understood that stragglers didn't win the Games.

I needed to work on first aid skills. My dad always said they were useless. I only had a little bit of time to study them in the District, and I would only have a little bit of time to study them here. I would just have to make the most of it. Medics were useful during the Games, and I needed to strengthen my spot indefinitely. Just being leader wasn't enough. Leaders could be overthrown. Medics, not so much.

First aid was confusing. My prior knowledge was useful, of course, but it wasn't much. There was a lot to know about medicine, after all. I had to learn plants. I had to learn bandages. I had to learn ointments, and balms, and which medicine was for what. Even if I was sponsored, I needed to know what to do with the medicine.

This was going to take me all of training. I knew it for a fact. I was glad that all of the other Careers decided to study survival, too, since it was a necessary skill. Most trainers overlooked that. Not me. I knew what was needed in the Games. Despite my father's best efforts, I knew that medicine was important. The other Careers just had to follow me to their almost-victories.

* * *

 **Note: If I write your tribute, please send me a review. Not necessarily anything long, but a little note of whether or not I did your tribute well. If I mess up, I don't want to do it again and again. I also want to be able to fix it ASAP, so please let me know.**


	32. Starving Sisters

**Dove Sybilla (17) D2F**

I needed to learn about survival. I was a Career, which meant I could kill. Killing and living were two very different things. With any luck the Games would be over before it would matter, but I couldn't rely on luck. I would have to rely on more training and practice.

The problem was, there was a lot of survival stuff to work on. There was berries, traps, snares, water, first aid, and a million other things. There was no way I could memorize it all. I needed to find a smarter plan instead of cramming. The best plan I could think up was an ally who was also interested in survival. Of course, preferably a nice one, but I could deal with it if she wasn't.

I noticed a kid lurking around the survival stations and did a double take. She was thinner than any of my friends, and anyone who wasn't training knew that thin was the thing to be. However, she knew what she was doing with her plants. She had a good pile going, and I knew that the more she knew the less I had to. "Hello?"

The kid's head popped up she stared at me. I could see her tensing up, and I backed up a little bit. She eyed me warily and said, "Who are you?"

"I'm Dove," I replied, slowly walking up to her. I didn't want to scare her away. She seemed nice. "I was wondering if you needed an ally."

The kid stared at me again before saying, "Aren't you Two? Why don't you the Careers?"

"I don't like 'em. They're rude." I hid my real reason from her. The Careers killed my sister. These ones couldn't have me.

"All right. We can be ally," she replied, turning to me. "What you learn?"

"I'm gonna work on things like snares," I informed her confidently. Until a second before that I hadn't known my plan. I did now.

"I do plants," she commented before reaching into her pocket. "Chocolate?"

"Um, sure. Thanks." Why was she carrying chocolate around in her pocket? I guessed it was logical. Storing food would be useful during the Games. "We should hang out when the Center closes. And what's your name, anyways?"

"We can be together when Center close. I am Smudge," she replied haltingly. "We stay with Bellepherone?"

"Isn't she an escort?"

"She is my mentor. We stay together. She left me train, but I like to stay with her." She stated it like it was something obvious, which I suppose it was. Twelve wasn't exactly the strongest District.

"We should go around the building. Only training closes, after all," I told her in what I hoped was a warm matter. Wouldn't want to seem rude.

"All right. We should get food. And talk snares. I do not snare."

"All right. We'll talk and eat. Seems good to me." It turned out, I got an ally. Who knew? Smudge seemed cool. I only hoped she would trust me. She stared at me with distrust as I walked away, and I hoped it would fade. Allies needed trust.

* * *

 **Smudge Kells (12) D12F**

I didn't know why Dove approached me. I couldn't be that useful. She, of all people, should be able to see that. I liked her, though. She wasn't as scary as the street kids, and she didn't try to take my food. She only wanted it once I offered it. That was good.

She came with me to get food. I liked that, too. I wanted something fun, and she seemed to know what she was doing when I asked. She led me to a shop with a weird decoration on it, informing me that is was an ice cream shop. I liked ice cream. There was a lot of it on the train. "How do you snare?"

She looked at me over her tower of ice cream. "Well, you need some string or rope, or even a vine. Then you make a certain knot, it's really hard to explain without picture but it lets the rope slide, and find a tree with a low branch. You tie the rope to the tree and you have a snare. All there is to it."

"I learn plants. Red and white is bad. They hurt you. Less food. Many good plants. Burns and 'wounds,' and food, too. Plants very good," I told her without prompting. She had said we would discuss things, and without my input, it wasn't a discussion.

"What's Twelve like?" She asked me before she could remember that I was a street kid. "Oh. Never mind. Do you have any sisters?"

"No sister. Bellepheron is Mom. What about you?"

"I don't have any sisters, either. I lost mine to the Games."

"Why you volunteer?" It wasn't logical for someone who knew what the Games caused to volunteer.

"Revenge, I guess. The Capitol can't just have my sister," she replied hesitantly. "I guess I didn't really think about it that much, except avenging my siblings."

"I no volunteer, but Reaped not bad. Many food," I told her. The Capitol was amazing beyond my imagination. They had a station in training just about food. There was also so many pretty things. My ring was still my favorite, but the Capitol was beautiful. Some people didn't like it, but it was awesome. "Why you ally me?"

"Well, I needed an ally. I couldn't know everything about survival."

"That not it. You not tell something," I stated curiously. Why would she hide something?

"I guess... going the Games alone would be hard. Especially if someone like you was in there alone, too. You remind me of Evangeline, too. I mean, you're probably nothing like her, but you still do. It's weird." She went back to eating her ice cream and I nodded.

"I see. I ally you because I might as well. Allies good," I put matter-of-factly. "Now I happy. You nice, and we make friends?"

Dove laughed for a second, but it wasn't rude. "The Games aren't really the place for friends."

"I no win. We be friends and you win. You no hurt me, since I no win. We be friends," I pushed.

"All right. Want to sleep in my room tonight?" I nodded. Nobody ever let me sleep in their room before. Usually I was a loner, and now I had a friend. Sleeping in her room would be weird, but Dove seemed all right. She got me food.


	33. Way too many people in one Alliance

**Magpie Orchard (15) D11F**

Being part of a big alliance was useful. We could easily split up and cover almost everything. I wanted to cover survival, since I knew I wasn't a killer. I also knew I would still be useful, since we couldn't win if we starved to death.

Edible plants were the place to be. I could focus on pure memorization, which was nice. It was also one of the most useful things, since almost any Arena would have foliage. I didn't know how long it would take me or how much I would have to memorize, but it would be worth it if I could provide food.

It turned out, I had to memorize a lot. A whole bunch more than I expected. There were tons of plants in any one biome, and I had to work on all of the possible biomes. I knew I had to start with the basics, so I went over to the assistant. "Hello, Miss. I was wondering, what is the biggest visual factor in edible versus poisonous plant?"

"Well, there's a lot to know," the helper replied. "Obviously, coloring. If a plant is red or white, it's usually poisonous. Then there's touch. If it hurts to touch the plant, it's bad for you. That should be common sense, but you'd be surprised." I nodded. I hadn't thought of that. "Also, if the plant is thorny, it's bad. And avoid anything that smells like almonds or has milky sap."

I smiled. "Thank you. Is that it or should I get a piece of paper?" I joked.

"You might want to write some of this down. Leaves of three, leave it be. That one's easier to remember, since it rhymes. However, clover is fine. If the plant's bitter, it's probably poisonous. Grain heads with pink or black spurs are likely to be dangerous, so avoid those, too. That's pretty much it."

"All right! I think I have that. No red and white, no three..." I trailed off, still muttering to myself. The assistant pulled over a bowl of leaves and started showing me them.

"This one, for instance, is poison ivy. It hurts to touch and it has three leaves, so you don't eat it. This plant," she said as she held up a single leaf with rounded edges, "Isn't red or white, I can touch it, it doesn't have milky sap, although you can't tell, and it lacks lacks spurs and thorns. It doesn't smell, was in a bundle of more than three leaves, and if you taste a little bit of it, it's not bitter. It's mint, actually, but you can tell that it's safe. Go through these bowls and make two piles."

"All righty!" I started sorting all of the plants, trying to remember everything she had said. It would take a while, but it would be worth it.

* * *

 **Redd Santorini (12) D11M**

I was supposed to "train" and "increase our chances at winning" today, but I didn't have time for that. I was going into the Hunger Games. I could learn in the Arena. Of course, even I knew well enough to spend some time training, but ninja stars were easily mastered. I could have some fun now.

There was no better place to have fun than the Capitol. I knew that before I even got there. With trains as awesome as the one I was on, the Capitol had to be amazing. Reaching it only strengthened my belief in that. There were shops everywhere, and I tributes had free access.

Being a twelve-year-old, I promptly went to an ice cream shop. I ate as much ice cream as I could, and then looked for something else to do. It didn't take long to find something. There was a giant playground, as big as some of the orchards in Eleven. I wasn't sure why the Capitol needed that, but I didn't care. It was a playground!

There were tons of slides on the playground. I went down the tallest one and climbed back up it. All the cool kids could climb up slides. Then I went to the railings, hanging over them and generally freaking people out. There was a pole which I didn't climb up, but I went down it. After that, I saw the most glorious thing of all: monkey bars.

Many people wouldn't see how amazing monkey bars are. After all, they're just a bunch of horizontal metal poles. But in the eyes of a boy, they were the stuff of life. You could do a million and one fun things on monkey bars, and I planned to go through all of them.

First of all, I went across them like a normal person. Then I climbed on top of them and hung upside down. It made my legs sore, but the adoring stares from some eight-year-old made it worth it. Next came the fun stuff, the stuff that was what made monkey bars so amazing. I did a piggy bank.

To those of you that don't know what a piggy bank is, it goes like this: First of all, you go on top of monkey bars. Then you sit sideways, so you face the edge and not more bars. You have to grab onto the bars from beneath, and then flip off. It jolts your shoulders a bit if you do it wrong, but the swinging around is epic. The bars were about ten feet off the ground, so my short figure had a five foot drop. I enjoyed the fall all the way down and giggled when I hit the ground. The Games would stink, but training wasn't so bad.

* * *

 **Faris Nye (14) D3M**

The Training Center closed at night. I didn't mind that. Training with daggers got tiresome. It was doing virtually the same thing over and over again, which may seem easy, but using your arm that much in that pattern made you sore. My right arm was killing me, and I wanted to have some fun.

The Capitol was a world of entertainment. There were tons of late-night shows going on everywhere. I didn't have any money, but I had my face. Tributes were kinda famous, and businesses loved us. If a tribute liked you, you must be the best. Because, you know, those starving kids had the highest-class entertainment.

Lots of debaucherous things were going on, and I wanted no part in that. I was fourteen, not twenty. I didn't need to spoil innocence in my last days. I just wanted a fun night before my impending doom. A comedian's act seemed like the place to go. They were usually at least somewhat appropriate, and they were funny. That seemed perfect.

Comedians were great. The guy was just a stand-up comedian, which a nice Capitolite explained meant he didn't have anything prepared- after she got my autograph, of course. Capitolites were weird. She had three other autographs, so she had the signature of at least three walking corpses. Yay her.

The comedian made me laugh. That sounds like something small, but it wasn't. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. I had to gasp to stay conscious. Some people stared at me, but I didn't care. I could hardly see them. My eyes were tearing up to the point where my vision blurred. All in all, it was pretty much the best night of my life.

All Victors had talents. Up until being Reaped, I never thought about mine. I was just a kid from Three. I would never go into the Games. Other people would, people who were amazing and had talents. I just had a crush. Now that I went to a comedy, though, I knew what I wanted my talent to be. It would take some work, since epicness didn't happen overnight, but I would try. Maybe I would help another tribute. Maybe I would save a life.

* * *

 **Andres Patino (15) D9M**

After the night was out, I walked into my room. I checked to make sure I was all alone before going in farther and sitting down on my bed. I noticed the lovely shower which enticed me, and all the food I could order, but none of it mattered. None of it was worth my attention. I had more important things to do.

I pulled out my twine necklace. It had a little axe-shaped stone that my father had made, before he had died in the night. It meant I was supposed to be the man of the house. It meant I had failed. I was supposed to protect my family and keep them safe, but I was just going to fight to the death. Even if I got back, none of my siblings would trust me. Little Morgan couldn't afford to have a murderer in the house.

I clasped the necklace in my hand, squeezing it tightly. I felt a tear roll down my cheek as I thought about my family. _Please let them be ok!_ It was a single sentence, but it voiced all of my feelings. _Let them be ok. Let them be ok._ The thought kept running through my head, over and over again. _Let them be ok!_ "Please let them be ok," I whispered. "Mom, I might not get back to you. Make Dad get a job. He's bad at it, but make him. Please be ok." I looked around the room, knowing there was a good chance I was being filmed. "Morgan, Gabriella, Amy, Savannah, Marcus, don't watch the television!"

All the things I regretted not saying at the goodbyes flooded out of me. _Now that it doesn't matter anymore._ I kept crying, ignoring the voice in the back of my head. I knew my brain was right. Whatever I could say didn't matter anymore. They couldn't hear me, and the Capitol wouldn't let them. The Capitol would lock it away, never to be heard. "Let them be safe! Keep them alright!" I screamed, hoping someone would hear me. If someone else heard, they might be of use.

I crumpled to the floor, knowing it was hopeless. I would die and they would sink into the ground. Mom would try to work more and work herself to death. Everyone would starve, and the Patino family would die off, one by one. "Why? I just want them to be alright," I sobbed. _Just let them be alright. I'll try, I'll try. Please stay alright._


	34. Tiny Alliance and a Goof

**Rybbon Marbroox (17) D8F**

I needed to learn how to fight. Sisal wouldn't be able to. I trusted him to get food and water for us while I learned how to protect us. Hopefully, we would make it to the final two. Neither of us knew what would happen at that point, and we were staying busy to avoid it. We needed concentration, not worries. We could focus on improving our odds of winning and worry about the rest later.

The assistant at the fighting station told me to learn a weapon before I worked on hand-to-hand. I didn't know why, but I was happy to comply if that increased my chances of winning. The assistant said to find a basic weapon, such as a knife or dagger. I chose daggers, since I thought knives would be more popular. I needed a weapon I could actually get.

I started throwing the daggers without any form when another assistant came over to me. She showed me proper stance and aim, and I tried again. Of course, I stank at it, but it was only my first try. I needed to improve, and I would get better with practice. That was how these things worked.

I threw for the majority of the day, slowly improving my aim. I hit right where I aimed once, and got near it multiple times. One time as I reached for another dagger, I grabbed the blade. I felt my hand tear open and closed my eyes. I knew I was bleeding, but I couldn't bear to let myself see that. I would puke. Blood had to be one of the worst things in the world. My mind quickly filled with doubts about the Bloodbath, but I pushed them away. I didn't have time to worry about that.

The assistant quickly wrapped up my hand and gave me a painkiller. She instructed me not to throw daggers for the rest of the day, since I could re-open the wound. I nodded and went over to the safer edible plants section. Sisal was there too, but he was working on what he could eat. I focused on what would hurt if I needed a weapon. That way, we still covered more ground than a single person. I didn't learn how to kill someone, but it would be a lot easier to fight if you felt like you were on fire.

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford (15) D8M**

Rybbon was focusing on weapons while I worked on plants. I didn't mind that. As loud as I liked to be, a calm, quiet moment could be nice now and then. It was difficult to achieve that when there were so many other people around, but I would survive. I just had to focus on my plants and close myself off from them. I had never done it before, but there was a first time for everything.

Being from Eight, I knew almost nothing about which plants were edible and which weren't. The assistant quickly gave me the basics, and I did my best to remember them. The easiest things to remember were avoiding red and white, and that anything with three leaves was bad. I could easily know those facts, and I figured the others were a little less important. I would try to keep them in my mind since they would be useful, but they were lower on my list of priorities.

Of course, there was no guarantee that plants would be useful. For all I knew, we could be inside a giant apple, or a desert. I could only hope that I wouldn't drag Rybbon down during the Games. I knew she would never leave me, but I wished she would. I might slow her down, and I couldn't want that. She was far too important for that. I had to make sure she stayed alive.

I closed my eyes and gathered myself, turning back to my bowls of leaves. _No time for that. Learn some plants._ I could worry about Rybbon later. For the moment, I had to learn everything I could so that if the Arena allowed, I could provide food for us. I looked forward to when the Center would close and I could goof off, but I had to concentrate for as long as possible.

After a while, Rybbon joined me at the table. I didn't mind, since I knew she had a good reason. Her hand was wrapped up, and I got ready to go over to her to comfort her. Her expression stopped me, and I remembered her fear of blood. She had definitely had a good scare, and she wasn't going to be talkative for another couple of hours. I could worry about her after then.

* * *

 **Evie Sage (14) D10F**

Originally I had planned to focus on edible plants, but there were a lot of people swarming around that station. I decided to work on those later and focus on another skill for the time being. For the first time I was aware of, few people were interested in throwing knives. I figured I could learn self-defense until I could focus on providing for myself.

The assistant taught me stance and form, and I mimicked her movements. Of course, I would have to work past just mimicking someone else, but I knew my body would have to get used to the right position. The assistant told me how to throw and demonstrated, and I tried to do what she did. She hit the bull's-eye. I barely hit the target.

"Don't worry, you'll get better," the assistant reassured me. I just nodded. I was a beginner; of course I would get better. Otherwise I wouldn't bother practicing. The assistant's words surprised me. Everyone should know that if you were a beginner, the only way to go was up.

Somewhere during the day, I lost track of the time. I focused on my knife throwing skills, smiling as my throws slowly got more accurate. I was still far from perfect, but I was getting there. Even if I wouldn't hit spot on, I could slow people down.

I could see Dove walking over to me out of the corner of my eye. I set down my knife and turned to her, waiting for her to initiate. "Hello."

"Hi, Dove," I replied quietly. There was no reason to speak up; we were virtually alone.

"Do you want to be in my alliance?"

I was taken aback by her question. Of course, I wanted to ally with a Career, but why would she want to ally with me? "Why?"

"Well, I want more people in my alliance, and you seem nice."

"Isn't the Career pack big enough this year? Why didn't you choose Carver?"

"I'm not in the Pack," she explained calmly. She didn't give an explanation to if they rejected her or she them. I didn't ask for one.

"Sure. Who else am I with?"

Dove shrugged. "It's just me and Smudge, and now you." I racked my brains for who Smudge was, then smiled.

"All right. I'm in. I'm working on knives."

Dove shook her head. "The Gamemakers probably won't provide knives. Usually, everybody goes for them. Go for a bow and arrow. They're slightly less popular, and the Gamemakers like them better."

I was a bit disappointed that knives weren't a good option. I had failed myself. But I trusted Dove's opinion, since she was trained in the things. I went over to the bow and arrow station and started the long learning process over again. At least now I wasn't heading in alone.

* * *

 **Little note that will get mentioned again in the next chapter: I assumed that the Gamemakers would have some fun making life hard for the tributes and not giving them throwing knives. I don't know if that's right, but this is a fanfic so I'm not always canon.**


	35. Loners

**Norah Mendell (16) D3F**

The Games were a big deal. I knew I wasn't a killer, so I wasn't going to bother with weapons. However, I might be able to be a survivor. I wasn't going to promise myself anything, since I could easily die during the Games. I could still work on improving my chances, and that was what I intended to do.

Right off the bat, I noticed that Redd was missing. _His funeral,_ I thought to myself before realizing the coarseness of that thought. After all, he was twelve. I knew I didn't want him to die, of course, but I still thought about it casually. I also knew that I usually didn't think much about these things. Death happened. Life happened. It was the circle of life.

I went over to the survival station and worked on how to find water. The edible plants section was packed; I would go over there later. I knew that you could go longer without food than water, anyways. I was a bit pleased at my knowledge of that, but I tried to hide it. Couldn't have all the other tributes flooding over to me.

Finding water wasn't too hard. All you had to do was follow an animal or plant, or even find some mud. The problem was finding clean water. There was no guarantee that I would have anything with which I could purify water. I had to learn where the cleanest water would be so I would have the least risk of death.

Water was cleanest by its source. Finding a spring would be my best bet. I would try to purify it from there, of course. The best route of action would be iodine tablets, but I needed a way around that. I asked the assistant for help, and she calmly guided me in how to filter things. She told me to find something that water could go through but not muck, such as my shirt. Of course, getting undressed on camera would be awkward, she explained, but I would want to be alive.

I wasn't entirely sure where she was coming from with the info about things being awkward. Showing my torso to survive was no big deal. Slowly, the realization came over me. I had never thought about those things, either, but now I began to understand them. The Capitol wouldn't just see my stomach! "They wouldn't show that, would they?"

The assistant shook her head. "They show whatever they want. That's why some people use socks. Anyways, if you can boil the water, that's best. It will kill off any germs, and then you can drink it-after you remove bugs and grime, of course."

I nodded mutely. They would show that?! I quietly got to work on memorizing things, knowing such basic steps wouldn't take very long for me to keep. I wasn't perfect at memorizing things, but I was good. My progress was significantly slowed by my brain constantly re-routing. _They would show that?!_

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt (15) D5M**

Since I had formulated a plan, it was time for me to work on surviving. The edible plants station was packed, so I decided to focus on spears until it cleared up. I didn't know the first thing about spears, but I figured I could pick it up as I went along. That was what training was for, after all. Besides, throwing spears seemed fun. I was throwing a freakin' spear!

Spears were pretty simple. Pick up spear. Aim. Throw spear. I worked away on perfecting my form and aim until I got bored. After all, you can only throw spears for so long. I also noticed a fallacy in the use of a spear. If you missed or if you didn't kill your target, you lost your spear. _How could I fix that?_

The solution was simple. Most Arenas had some sort of rope. I could just tie the rope to the end and then I could easily retrieve any thrown spears. I asked the assistant if it was allowed for me to do that, and she nodded. I promptly took some rope from the rope-making station and got to work on my new weapon.

It turned out, the solution wasn't so simple. When I tied the rope to the spear, it simply fell off. I would have to work around that. The spear was metal, so there was no hope of making a notch in which to place the rope. I would have to find a different way to connect it. Finally, I remembered something I heard of forever ago: barbs.

If I could make barbs on my spear, I could tie the rope to one of them. Of course, the barbs would have to be of equal shape and size, but that wouldn't be too hard. Even if it was, I could just adjust my aim as needed. The main problem now was making barbs stick to the metal. I wondered if I should just deal with a crummy spear, but this was way more fun than training. I was going to figure this out.

I decided on an entirely new solution: I was going to make my spear out of wood. The odds of me getting a metal spear were low, anyways. If my spear was wooden, I could make a notch or a hole just for the rope, and then things would be easier. For now, I had to practice my aim again. Yay.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (17) D7M**

When I got to the training center, almost nobody was at the axe station. That was perfect for me, being from Seven. I had to put on a good show. Even if I couldn't fight the Careers, I might be able to scare them off. May as well start when they couldn't retaliate in any harmful way. All they could do was show off right back at me, and that wouldn't matter. We all knew they were scary, after all.

I went straight to the axe section and started swinging. There were dummies there, and I whacked them with all of my might. I managed to decapitate one of them, but the rest I just hacked at. I could only hope that the Careers would dub me not worth their time and tire themselves out hunting down others. At least if they did that I would have a fraction of a chance.

When I looked over my shoulders, I spotted a couple of people staring at me. I shouted as I swung, and I probably looked like the most aggressive tribute there. All of the Careers were huddled around survival stations, which was certainly out of the ordinary. I would have expected them to want to be scary, which they definitely weren't. All they were doing was learning how to find plants.

What impressed me the most was the fact that a couple of the Careers turned to stare. Not all of them, but enough. They turned after a while and gathered the rest of them. I hoped they were talking about leaving me alone. I couldn't ally with them, but if they offered, I couldn't reject them. I wanted to scare them away, not make myself a target.

I let out a sigh of relief when they broke apart and none of them approached me. _Safe! For now..._ I thought dejectedly. I knew my safety would only last for long. Someday, the other tributes would run out. Then the Careers would come for me, and I would finally have to face them. They might be fair enough to attack from the front, but I would likely be surprised by their attack. They were smart enough to not take unnecessary risks.

Unless I could attack them first. If I got to them, I would have the element of surprise. It wouldn't be much of an advantage, but it was better than being attacked from behind. Heck, I could do that to all of the tributes. If they got too close, they were a threat. I would just have to eliminate them before they could hurt me. Simple as that.

* * *

 **Hyacinth Moraain (14) D9F**

The training center seemed boring. Of course, it was amazing, since there was tons of stuff everywhere, but it was rather drab and dull. I wanted to be able to enjoy my training without doing something so colorless and empty. I wandered around for a while, trying to find something beautiful. After a bit, I found something that worked: camouflage.

A camouflage station might seem as colorless as the rest of the stations, or even more so, but it really isn't. There's tons of different biomes to blend into, many that include brightly colored plants and flowers. Being a gardener, I loved it. I already knew what a lot of flowers looked like; I just had to learn how to recreate them. It would take a while, but it would be fun.

An assistant guided me to the proper colors and taught me some strokes. I thought it would be pointless, since I wouldn't have a brush in the Arena, but I listened politely. I could try to do the strokes with my fingers when she wasn't looking. I would just focus on getting the right colors and tones until she left. I needed to learn how to blend, too, and that could be done with fingers the same way as with a paintbrush.

Of course, she had to teach me shading and texture. Art was much harder than I expected. However, I could still have fun with it. Just the feeling of painting was grand. I tried my best to do what she did, and I slowly found myself catching on. I could almost replicate her flower within a couple of hours. The problem was, I needed to know how to replicate a lot more than one plant.

After a while she left, and I began to finger paint. It was significantly harder, but I figured I should learn how while I could. I would have to know how during the Arena if my skills were to be of use, after all. I slowly made a simple two-dimensional rose. Once I decided it was good enough, I worked on shading it.

I spent the rest of the day trying to make it perfect. I painted some other flowers by it, making sure they showcased the rose gorgeously. I shaded and added texture like the lady told me to, until I had a beautiful boquet of flowers on my arm. I went over to the flower section and found that I blended in well. I would have to work on the rest of the climates tomorrow.

* * *

 **Leonardo Hill (12) D12M**

I sighed sadly. Carver wanted to be alone. I could tell easily by the way he was acting, trying to show off. He didn't want any other tributes bothering him. On a normal day I would've tried to convince him anyways, but he had an axe and I wasn't going to risk it.

Quickly realizing that I needed a skill other people didn't have, I went to the climbing station. One might expect it to be full constantly, but nobody else was there. That was perfect for me. I would be considerably more valuable to an alliance if I had my own skill. I would also be able to impress the Gamemakers more easily if I was unique.

Climbing wasn't too bad. The trees were pretty simple. All I had to do was find a supportive branch, which was easy for someone of my size, and hoist myself up. I could do it again and again with no problem at all. The only time I was ever in trouble was when there weren't any strong branches, which was when I spread my weight out over multiple branches.

The real problem was rock climbing. Mountains didn't have helpful branches that stuck out to far I could sit on them. They just had ledges and nooks. I had to constantly search for the next grab, moving my reaches accordingly. Once I got to a place where there were no hand-holds and I had to climb back down. I knew I wouldn't be able to afford that during the Arena. I would have to plan ahead more.

The majority of the day was spent slowly working on my climbing skills. I learned just how big a handhold had to be for me to stick my fingers in it and climb up. That was another advantage about being small. I could climb with much less room than most people. Some people would find holds that were easy for me difficult just because of how huge they were.

I found myself tiring out by the end of the day, even with multiple breaks. The assistant told me not to push myself too hard, since I didn't want a strained muscle or sprain before the Games started. I hated to acknowledge it, but he was right. If I couldn't run easily, or if I couldn't manage to climb, all of my training was for naught. I still pushed myself a bit, since I would get nowhere otherwise, but I was a little less harsh on myself than I could've been.

My arms got sore before the day ended, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to climb efficiently anymore. I moved over to the fire making station, wanting to give my arms a little more work without being too strenous. I gathered sticks and learned the slow and laborious act of making fire by rubbing two sticks together. I was going to sleep well tonight.


	36. Thrown-Together Alliances and New Loners

**Nebojsa Imanji (18) D10M**

The Training Center closed at six o'clock. Everyone was ushered out of it to continue training the next day. None of us knew why, and only the Careers seemed to care. The rest of us were content with just moving on and continuing our training tomorrow.

I knew that it would be foolish not to train. I also knew that the Capitol was full of luxuries. That being said, the Center's closing didn't matter to me that much. Since it was closed, I could have some fun without simply slacking off. Like the majority of the tributes, I could continue my training tomorrow.

Finding myself missing my District, I wandered around the Games building for anything to calm my heart. I didn't think that the Capitol would have much that reminded me of Ten, but it was worth a try. If nothing else, I might be able to find some more stuffed animals to use. They were childish, but still calming. There was nothing wrong with being immature on occasion.

It turned out, the Capitol had a zoo. I didn't even have to go inside it to know that there would be tons of animals in there. There would likely be animals I had never even seen, like the famed giraffe my family sometimes talked about. I could only hope that I would be able to see a legend.

I wandered from exhibit to exhibit, treasuring each moment I had with the animals. I pitied them, since they were stuck behind bars, but I still loved to see them. There were many amazing creatures like I expected, but I wished I could touch them. All I could do was stare at them and wish.

Turning around, I noticed a strange animal with brown spots. It was mostly yellow, and it had a long neck. Upon further investigation, I discovered that it was a giraffe. All of the lions and elephants I saw were nothing compared to this. It looked like a fancy horse, and I wished I could take care of it like I took care of my old horse. A worked appeared beside me, and I jumped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Zazzle. I work here. It's about time for us to feed the animals," she explained.

My eyes widened as she offered me a bucket. "You were talking to yourself. You want to feed the giraffe?" I nodded. I was going to meet the wildlife!

Zazzle told me how to get inside the cage without spooking the giraffes, and I promptly did so. I took the bucket and, standing on a ledge, offered it to the beautiful beast. It came over to me and ate a few of the leaves from my bucket. I reached out, unable to restrain myself. I knew it wouldn't touch me, but I wanted it to so badly!

It kept eating from the bucket, but one time its tongue slipped. It licked my hand a little bit, and I smiled. Zazzle goaded me onwards, and I reached out again. I gingerly touched one of its horns before it got spooked and left. "Sorry," I whispered. I wished the mutts could be as nice as the mythical giraffe. _If I make it back, I'll be a legend._

* * *

 **Kia Steer (13) D6F**

Like many small tributes, I knew I needed an alliance to have any hopes at survival. My problem would be finding someone who was interested in a tribute like me. I was small and likely somewhat useless. Even I knew that. However, I could try to find people who either pitied me or were just as small as I was. My task wasn't very hopeful, but it was far from hopeless.

Mustang quickly revealed himself to not be a viable ally. He wanted a fair maiden, which I could respect. I would simply have to travel outside of my District, which was no big deal. I had watched the Reaping recaps, and I knew who I would want to ally with. There were plenty of small tributes this year. Of course, some wouldn't be interested, but I didn't need all of them. I only needed one or two. "Hey Smudge!"

Smudge's head popped up and she backed away. "What do you do?"

I backed off a little bit and continued. "Wanna be in an alliance?"

"Ok ask Dove. Dove and Evie need say yes."

"Oh, all righty then. Never mind." Dove had already rejected me. There was no way a Career would ally with me, and I hadn't expected it. Smudge and Evie were now out of the question. I had to move on to the next person on my list, which was all right. It was a long list. "Hey Redd!"

"Not here!" Magpie yelled.

"Well then, hey Magpie! Wanna be in an alliance?" Magpie just shrugged and told me I'd need Feris' permission. "Hey Feris! Can I ally with you and Magpie?"

Feris shrugged as well. "You'd need Redd and Andres to agree, though," he informed me casually, as if a four person outer-District alliance wasn't huge. Two people was weird.

"All right, thanks!" I wandered off to find Andres. "Hey Andres, can I ally with you?"

Andres considered for a while before answering. "We already have four people. It would probably hurt you more than it would help you to ally with us. The Gamemakers would target us with mutts since other tributes couldn't do too much damage. Anyways, we probably can't really provide for five people. Sorry."

"Oh, that's all right. I'll just ask somebody else," I replied, shrugging it off. I was running out of people, but I wasn't done yet. There was always another option, after all. I just had to keep finding it.

* * *

 **Simmons Hall (13) D5F**

There was no way a kid like me was going to get any allies. All of the big tributes would find their own people, and most of the smaller kids had an alliance that was too big for me to join. I had to accept it as a fact of life that I would be headed into the Games alone. I hoped that I would win, but I knew it wasn't likely. I was thirteen, and I didn't want to hurt anyone, let alone kill them.

Kia was making her way around the Center calling for people. It took me a good five minutes to realize that she was looking for allies. I didn't know why she hadn't come to me, since I obviously needed an ally, but I could accept that, too. She probably just had higher priorities. When Andres rejected her, I knew she might come to me soon. I got there first. "Hey, Kia?" I called, approaching her.

"What is it?" she replied, turning to me.

"Do you want to be in an alliance? I don't want to go the Games alone," I requested hopefully.

"Well sure!" she said, seeming delighted. "I was hoping to find a good ally. What have you learned so far?"

"Not much," I admitted. I had done a little work on blending in, but I wasn't very good at it. I was just small enough that I could sorta disappear. "I was thinking that we could work together in whatever station we went to. Then we could be great at the things we learned."

Kia nodded. "All right. I was thinking traps and survival, since it's obvious neither of us are interested in killing. Do you mind learning survival while I work on snares?"

I shook my head. "I'll learn stuff like shelters, then. We should have it easy since we're tiny."

"All right!" Kia walked off to learn snares. I hoped I would be useful with my shelter knowledge, since I didn't want to drag Kia down. I didn't think shelters could be too hard, since they were just getting a cover over your head, but if Kia thought I was useful I must be decent.

Shelters head a lot more to them than just getting a roof over your head. The assistant told me that getting off the ground was important, and I quickly saw how that made sense. The ground could be cold, and that was bad. She also told me that sides were important, which I thought I knew in the back of my mind, but it never really came up. Some of the most obvious things could remain hidden.

I worked the rest of the day putting together shelters of various difficulty. I started with the most basic of shelters: a layer of pine boughs and a makeshift roof of sticks. I slowly made my way to things that were more comfortable and useful, things with smooth bottoms and roofs. I was far from perfect at shelter building, but I came out a lot better than I went in.

* * *

 **Giselle Parkfields (17) D7F**

The Games would be hard going. I needed to get as much practice in as possible before the Games started. I didn't see many tributes going for cool weapons, and I couldn't blame them. I wouldn't, either. I was going to stick with what I knew and hope to improve my skills there. It might not get me through the Games, but it was better than not making any progress at all.

The first place I went to was the trident station. I couldn't go to the axe station, since Carver was being a maniac, and the survival station was packed. Tridents weren't too complicated, and I knew a bit about them, so they were my third choice. I slipped into a deep concentration like I so often practiced and started working on my jabs and blocks. The assistant didn't come over right away, so I practiced what I knew. When he finally came, he told me that I needed to restart, as if that was possible. He offered to teach me how to properly use a trident, and despite my taking a bit of offense at his harshness, I accepted.

Hours passed as I learned proper form. I didn't know there was a proper way to jab with a trident. I always thought it was a pointy stick that you used to attack people and move hay. Apparently, it was much more complicated than I had expected. If you didn't hold it right it could chip, which was weird but I wasn't going to fight the assistant on what he was trained in. It was also surprisingly easy to lose your grip, which I quickly learned. My previous misinformation didn't really matter, though. I knew the proper information now, and that was that.

I was approached by the easiest assistant, who offered to spar with me. I accepted and started doing what the teacher had taught me, jabbing with the proper hold and trying not to let it slip. I noticed someone trying to get my attention out of the corner of my eye, but I ignored him. I was training now. I could focus on other people later. I had to learn this spar properly so I could win the inevitable fights in the future. The fights would be harder, sure, but sparring an assistant would be closer to the real thing than whacking a dummy.

I lost, but I didn't mind. The man helped me learn from my mistakes and keep going. He showed me everything I did wrong, which was a bit humiliating, but it was certainly useful from it. I recalled something my mother had said about school, how everything you did wrong would help you in the future. You would never do that wrong again. I hoped it was true, because then I would be amazing at tridents. The list went on and on.

* * *

 **Mustang Colbolt D6M**

Giselle was ignoring me. I could handle that. I would just train until the day was out. I had already trained a lot, but I would just continue. It couldn't hurt to learn some more about making fires. There was only one other tribute there, which was nice, and I figured it would be a useful skill to have. Fires kept you warm, purified water, and could be used as weapons. There were pretty much all-around useful.

The most basic method of fire making was rubbing two sticks together. I learned that one, slowly but steadily. It had taken me a good chunk of the day before I let myself move on to the next one, as I had made myself a small flame. The next method was a bit more complicated but a whole lot easier. You just tied a stick to a rope and made a spark by rubbing the stick quickly along another stick. It took less physical effort than the other method, which would matter in the Games.

I was jolted from my training by an assistant coming over to me. "It's time to go, the Center's closed." I nodded and thanked her for her information. It was kind of her to usher me out instead of simply waiting for me to realize I was all alone. She helped me put out my fire, which was also nice. I wished all of the assistants and Capitolites were as nice as her.

Giselle was already leaving the Center, and I had to run to catch up to her. "Wait a second, Giselle!" I called out, reaching out a hand. She turned and looked at me expectantly. "Do you want to be an alliance?"

"What do you bring to the table?" she asked immediately.

"Well, I can help with fire," I told her. "It's warmth and it's water."

"Why do you want to ally with me?"

"Well, first of all, having an ally would be nice. Secondly, a lovely lady such as yourself shouldn't have to go the Games alone. No maiden should. I would love to be able to help you out wherever you needed it, assuming you ever do."

She seemed a bit taken aback by my comment. "A lovely lady? Help me out? I can handle myself."

I facepalmed before continuing. "I didn't mean it like that, sorry. I just meant that you know a weapon and I know water. I fill in one of the spots you don't have, and we would work well together. I do consider you a lovely lady though," I added, blushing. "Not that I'd ally with you for bad reasons," I continued. "I have a girl waiting for me in my District who I can't leave. I just want to fulfill my duties as much as possible."

She considered my offer for a while and then nodded. "All right, I guess. But if you start to treat me like crud I'm out."

"Oh, of course I won't! I want to be a gentleman," I explained. "I couldn't ever belittle a woman. I don't think you're useless, either. I just think that I'm a bit more imposing than you, which could scare people away, and some people are sexist and think ladies are dumber than men."

Giselle nodded. "All right then, Mr. Gentleman. I'll see you in the Games."

* * *

 **Notes: Giselle is by no means tiny. She's 5'7". Mustang was simply referencing that many people didn't think women could fight. Also, Mustang isn't very sexist. He does think that men are often physically stronger, but he thinks women are just as important as men. He just thinks that ladies deserve men to be gentlemen to them.**

 **Also, these are alliances that I threw together (except Neb who's suddenly a loner). If any of the owners don't like the alliance, message me and things will be settled.**


	37. Private Session Report

**Authors note: The first few are boring since they're Careers. They get better later. All of these things would be boring, but Draco is silly since boring people are lame.**

 **Also, someone asked about sponsoring. First of all, there's no guarantee that there won't be throwing knives at the Cornucopia. It depends on how the Gamemakers feel. Second, I have a chapter dedicated to the sponsor system (chapter 2). I forgot to mention there: I might randomly sponsor tributes completely useless things depending on how I feel. Also, medicine will work unless I tell you it won't. I could go change that in the chapter but I'm lazy.**

* * *

 **PRIVATE SESSION REPORT**

 **HEAD GAMEMAKER: DRACO STILETTO**

 **GAMES: 18**

 **TRIBUTES:**

* * *

DISTRICT ONE MALE

 **NAME:** MINOS VELLA

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Mace and Hand-to-Hand Combat

 **ASSESMENT:** Minos was very competent with his mace. He destroyed the offered dummies with plenty of time to quickly take down the assistant in hand-to-hand combat.

 **STRENGTHS:** Fighting, Maces

 **WEAKNESSES:** We have gathered that Minos has a hard time trusting people. This will certainly prove difficult in the Pack.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Possible trauma from insane grandfather's attack

 **ODDS:** 12:1

 **SCORE:** 9

 **NOTES:** His Grandpa was anti-Capitol. He might be, too.

* * *

DISTRICT ONE FEMALE

 **NAME:** GLACINE ROCKRIDGE

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Throwing knives, manipulation

 **ASSESMENT:** Glacine showed great promise with throwing knives. She hit nearly all of her targets. She showed manipulation by trying to convince us to let her up to us. Most of the men fell for it, and I had to force them not to let her.

 **STRENGTHS:** Throwing knives, manipulation

 **WEAKNESSES:** Glacine doesn't seem to take the Games seriously and she expects a good time.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 9

 **NOTES:** We need new Gamemakers

* * *

DISTRICT TWO MALE

 **NAME:** AMBROSE CARAWAY

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Sword & Shield Fighting

 **ASSESMENT:** Ambrose showed talent in sword fighting. He defeated the assistant we sent out against him, but showed slight difficulty.

 **STRENGTHS:** Sword & shield fighting, cousin of a Victor

 **WEAKNESSES:** Ambrose wasn't confident at all and I doubt his ability to kill

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 12:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Hopefully you win. Shale wants you.

* * *

DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

 **NAME:** DOVE SYBILLA

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Martial arts, Throwing knives

 **ASSESMENT:** Dove showed great talent with her martial arts. The assistant was quickly and smoothly defeated without getting many blows in. Dove also showed precision with her knives, hitting her target all three times she threw.

 **STRENGTHS:** Throwing knives, martial arts

 **WEAKNESSES:** Dove is physically weak. She will not be able to take hand-to-hand if the opponent knows martial arts or makes that kind of attack impossible.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Boring

 **ODDS:** 10:1

 **SCORE:** 10

 **NOTES:** You should be the one who learns manipulation.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE MALE

 **NAME:** FARIS NYE

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Daggers

 **ASSESMENT:** Faris showed competence with daggers. He hit his target about fifty percent of the time. He should be able to slow things, but with his aim he likely won't be able to kill anything.

 **STRENGTHS:** Faris is bright and likely to attract sponsors. He has a large alliance.

 **WEAKNESSES:** Young, weak.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Nothing

 **ODDS:** 36:1

 **SCORE:** 5

 **NOTES:** You gotta do better.

* * *

DISTRICT THREE FEMALE

 **NAME:** NORAH MENDELL

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Edible plants, water, electronics

 **ASSESMENT:** Norah showed decent knowledge of plants, though nothing great. She could find water, but she would have some difficulty with purifying it. She kept shaking her head as she purified it. Being from Three, Norah knew her electronics pretty well, but there may not be any in the Arena.

 **STRENGTHS:** Norah is unemotional and she knows how to survive.

 **WEAKNESSES:** Norah does not have a weapon and her coldness will likely scare off any sponsors.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Norah does not seem to show much emotion. We do not believe there is anything wrong with her; she simply seems more reserved than many.

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** There's a difference between surviving and living.

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR MALE

 **NAME:** SEBASTIAN WRIGHT

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Swords, swimming

 **ASSESMENT:** Sebastian showed talent with the swords. He would probably defeat Ambrose, but not without some difficulty. He knew how to swim and was able to push against some of our strongest currents.

 **STRENGTHS:** Swords, swimming, training

 **WEAKNESSES:** Sebastian is arrogant and thinks the Career pack loves him. He does not have anything long-distance.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Harsh, but clean.

 **ODDS:** 8:1

 **SCORE:** 9

 **NOTES:** Why so scary?

* * *

DISTRICT FOUR FEMALE

 **NAME:** SERENA HASVAK

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Haladie

 **ASSESMENT:** Serena knew what she was doing with her haladie. She used a similator, to our surprise, but she could fight all of the computerized opponents and she spent all five minutes without being defeated.

 **STRENGTHS:** Double edged dagger

 **WEAKNESSES:** Serena seems very impulsive.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 14:1

 **SCORE:** 9

 **NOTES:** You're the nicest Career I've ever seen.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE MALE

 **NAME:** ISAAC WYATT

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Traps

 **ASSESMENT:** Isaac made some decent traps. They could probably catch him animals, but not people. He did not seem to know how to make his own rope, though, which could make the Games difficult.

 **STRENGTHS:** Traps, level-headed

 **WEAKNESSES:** When Isaac walked into the room, he tripped on the floor.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** We need more crazy tributes. Clean.

 **ODDS:** 36:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** Don't trip over your feet in the Games.

* * *

DISTRICT FIVE FEMALE

 **NAME:** SIMMONS HALL

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Hiding

 **ASSESMENT:** Simmons hid quite well. She disappeared into the rack entirely. None of us could find her for the rest of the session.

 **STRENGTHS:** Hiding and sponsors

 **WEAKNESSES:** She is young, she can't find food, and she can't defent herself.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** A thirteen-year-old probably won't have a traumatic history. She's healthy.

 **ODDS:** 96:1

 **SCORE:** 1

 **NOTES:** You're gonna starve, hun.

* * *

DISTRICT SIX MALE

 **NAME:** MUSTANG COLBOLT

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Fire-making

 **ASSESMENT:** Mustang knows how to make a fire using many different methods. He could probably make a fire on a mountain. He listed multiple uses for fire, not only paying attention to warmth, which was out of the ordinary.

 **STRENGTHS:** Fire

 **WEAKNESSES:** Mustang does not seem to know how to find food or water. He does not have a weapon other than fire.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Clean

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 3

 **NOTES:** Howdy howdy howdy

* * *

DISTRICT SIX FEMALE

 **NAME:** KIA STEER

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Traps

 **ASSESMENT:** Kia showed talent with her traps. She seemed to know what she was doing. She made a bunch of traps that interlocked, so if you set off one you set off five.

 **STRENGTHS:** Traps, cute

 **WEAKNESSES:** She's thirteen, she's weak

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** White as snow

 **ODDS:** 48:1

 **SCORE:** 5

 **NOTES:** Your last name is Steer?

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN MALE

 **NAME:** CARVER REDWOOD

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Ax, survival, climbing

 **ASSESMENT:** Carver walked in and said he wanted to spend five minutes with each skill. We explained that he got five minutes total. He then spent his time hacking at dummies for two minutes, organizing plants for a minute, and climbing for two minutes. He showed talent with axes and he was decent at climbing, but his plants could use work.

 **STRENGTHS:** Eating, Axing, Climbing. Carver is large enough to be imposing.

 **WEAKNESSES:** He almost poisoned himself, so he needs to fix that. He lacks social skills and allies and he likely will not be sponsored.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Carver had an abusive father. He seems pretty in-the-dark about it, but it could effect him during the Games. He seems like he wants to be an open book, which will hurt any attacks he tries to make.

 **ODDS:** 15:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Bro calm down

* * *

DISTRICT SEVEN FEMALE

 **NAME:** GISELLE PARKFIELDS

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Survival, ax, trident, running

 **ASSESMENT:** It was hard to gather much about each skill due to lack of time on each thing. Giselle seemed to know her plants pretty well and she purified water. Her ax skills were decent, but she chose an ax that was too large. Her trident skills were much better, and she explained that she trained with them a lot. She was lanky enough that she seemed to find running easy, which will be an advantage.

 **STRENGTHS:** Can live. Can run. Can trident. Can ax.

 **WEAKNESSES:** Not too good with axes, easily frustrated, does not know hand-to-hand.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Lame

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** Do those legs go all the way up?

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT MALE

 **NAME:** SISAL RUTHERFORD

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Edible plants, daggers

 **ASSESMENT:** Sisal seemed to know what he was doing with his plants. He organized almost all of the correctly. His dagger skills were mediocre. He knew how to hold the weapon, but not much past that.

 **STRENGTHS:** Stabbing things, edible plants

 **WEAKNESSES:** Young, bad at his weapon, flashing lights

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** He has epilepsy. Not sure if that's psychological, but it's bad.

 **ODDS:** 48:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** Don't fall off your platform during the countdown.

* * *

DISTRICT EIGHT FEMALE

 **NAME:** RYBBON MARBROOX

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Edible plants and daggers

 **ASSESMENT:** Rybbon was much more talented with the daggers than Sisal. She knew how to properly stab and throw the daggers. Her edible plant skills were worse, likely due to the fact that she spend much less time training those than she did her dagger skills.

 **STRENGTHS:** Daggers, charity ally likely to attract sponsors

 **WEAKNESSES:** Fear of blood, overconfident

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Cleaner than Sisal is

 **ODDS:** 36:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** Why did you go to daggers if you hate blood? Nice to see your hand's healing nicely, though.

* * *

DISTRICT NINE MALE

 **NAME:** ANDRES PATINO

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Weight-lifting

 **ASSESMENT:** Andres knew how to lift weights. He didn't hurt his back, and he was able to lift our heaviest of weights. Which isn't surprising. We need heavier weights.

 **STRENGTHS:** Strong

 **WEAKNESSES:** He is clumsy. He doesn't know hand-to-hand. He doesn't have a weapon.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** *yawn* clean

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 7

 **NOTES:** Are you gonna lift weights to victory?

* * *

DISTRICT NINE FEMALE

 **NAME:** HYACINTH MORAAIN

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Shelter-making

 **ASSESMENT:** Hyacinth made a nice shelter. It was water-proof and wind-proof, and it could keep her off the ground. Apparently she should've shown her camouflage more, though. Ask the ladies.

 **STRENGTHS:** Shelters, apparently camouflage

 **WEAKNESSES:** Unwilling to kill, weak, frail

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Why do I have to watch so many clean tributes?

 **ODDS:** 24:1

 **SCORE:** 5

 **NOTES:** Paint a pretty picture on your shelter.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN MALE

 **NAME:** NEBOJSA IMANZI

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Hand-to-Hand combat, Traps, Daggers

 **ASSESMENT:** Out of the people using daggers, Nebojsa was the most competent. He showed good aim and talent. He is a large man and he seemed to find hand-to-hand easy. His traps stank.

 **STRENGTHS:** You'll win a fist-fight. You seem determined.

 **WEAKNESSES:** You need to eat. You're mean.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Everybody insists he's not bipolar, and I believe them. However, his personality shows some of the tendencies.

 **ODDS:** 14:1

 **SCORE:** 8

 **NOTES:** Don't waste your energy on traps.

* * *

DISTRICT TEN FEMALE

 **NAME:** EVIA SAGE

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Bow and arrow

 **ASSESMENT:** Evie could use a bow and arrow. She hit the target a couple of times and missed a couple of times. However, she could probably scare people away, since the times she missed the wasn't far from hitting.

 **STRENGTHS:** Decent at bow and arrow. Can hide.

 **WEAKNESSES:** Slow, can't find food.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** She fourteen. She clean.

 **ODDS:** 48:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** Her dad was in the Games. This might push her. You stink but you cute.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN MALE

 **NAME:** REDD SANTORINI

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Ninja Stars

 **ASSESMENT:** Redd seemed into ninja stars for the fun of them. He hit the target about twenty percent of the time. He needs some work.

 **STRENGTHS:** He could disappear from other tributes. Strong alliance. Sponsors.

 **WEAKNESSES:** No weapon. ADHD. Dumb.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** ADHD, yay!

 **ODDS:** 49:1

 **SCORE:** 3

 **NOTES:** Keep working on your stars.

* * *

DISTRICT ELEVEN FEMALE

 **NAME:** MAGPIE ORCHARD

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Survival skills, plants

 **ASSESMENT:** Magpie could probably survive. She knew how to find water, make shelters, and make a fire. Her plant skills were all right, and she knew how to avoid deadly plants. However, she could give herself a stomach ache.

 **STRENGTHS:** Plants, fires, shelters, water

 **WEAKNESSES:** Everything else that matters. Fighting, can't kill, weak.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** Why are you so bright? You're gonna die. Clean.

 **ODDS:** 30:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** Tell your friends some jokes.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE MALE

 **NAME:** LEONARDO HILL

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Climbing

 **ASSESMENT:** Leonardo seemed to want to be out of the ordinary. He was pretty unique, but one of the Career got in the way. I can't be bothered to remember which one. Anyways, Leonardo was good at climbing. His small size made it easy for him to fit his hands into the smallest of cracks.

 **STRENGTHS:** Climbing, rich dad

 **WEAKNESSES:** Rude, twelve

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** He's rude but not crazy

 **ODDS:** 39:1

 **SCORE:** 6

 **NOTES:** You won't be Twelve's first mentor.

* * *

DISTRICT TWELVE FEMALE

 **NAME:** SMUDGE KELLS

 **SKILLS DEMONSTRATED:** Fishhooks

 **ASSESMENT:** Smudge didn't look at us the entire time she was showing off. She showed us some fishhooks. She was competent with her fishhooks. She could probably catch a fish.

 **STRENGTHS:** Hooking things. Street-smart.

 **WEAKNESSES:** She's starving. She is tiny. I could snap her like a toothpick.

 **PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE:** She's mentally fine, but not physically.

 **ODDS:** 200:1

 **SCORE:** 4

 **NOTES:** You want my leftovers?


	38. Scores

**Super important note: aceswims made me a blog! It's at ht tp/ www. trapped18hg . blog spot . com**

* * *

MINOS VELLA: 9

GLACINE ROCKRIDGE: 9

AMBROSE CARAWAY: 8

DOVE SYBILLA: 10

FARIS NYE: 5

NORAH MENDELL: 6

SEBASTIAN WRIGHT: 9

SERENA HASVAK: 9

ISAAC WYATT: 6

SIMMONS HALL: 1

MUSTANG COLBOLT: 3

KIA STEER: 5

CARVER REDWOOD: 8

GISELLE PARKFIELDS: 7

SISAL RUTHERFORD: 4

RYBBON MARBROOX: 7

ANDRES PATINO: 7

HYACINTH MORAAIN: 5

NEBOJSA IMANZI: 8

EVIE SAGE: 6

REDD SANTORINI: 3

MAGPIE ORCHARD: 4

LEONARDO HILL: 6

SMUDGE KELLS: 4

* * *

Minos: _I thought so._

Glacine: _Minos and I tied? Manipulation is way cooler than a mace._

Ambrose: _I'm the worst Career. I better pick up my slack._

Dove: _I'm the best? How? I better win._

Faris: _A five is pretty good._

Norah: _I messed up one of my plants. They didn't like that. Now I won't mess up again._

Sebastian: _I should've beat Dove. She isn't one of us._

Serena: _The Gamemakers were redundant this year. I tied with Sebastian. My haladie skills are pretty good._

Isaac: _A six is half as good as perfect. I need to be twice as good as I am if I want a great chance at winning._

Simmons: _I only got a one?! I better stick close to Kia._

Mustang: _I'm one of the worst. I should've learned more than fire._

Kia: _Five? How did I manage that? The Gamemakers like my trap?_

Carver: _I'm not as good as Ambrose. I need to improve my axes. Why did they make me so high?_

Giselle: _A seven is good. Mustang better step up his game._

Sisal: _I did way worse than Rybbon. I knew I would drag her down. Does she still want me?_

Rybbon: _A seven? I guess I wasn't that bad at daggers. Dang hand. Hopefully Sisal doesn't feel too bad._

Andres: _Yes! I didn't know weights was that good. Oh crap the Arena's gonna reflect that._

Hyacinth: _My shelters probably are a five. That's pretty good. It was water-proof._

Nebojsa: _Crud I'm with the Careers. Hopefully they forget me because of Dove._

Evie: _I missed some arrows. Why did I get a six? Hopefully the sponsors like that._

Redd: _I only got a three? Ninja stars are awesome! It's probably because I forgot what I was doing partway through._

Magpie: _I'm not the worst in the alliance._

Leonardo: _Only a six? The Gamemakers don't know what they're doing._

Smudge: _A four is good. Fours might get sponsors. Dove would like sponsors._

* * *

 **Note: Scores do not necessarily reflect skill level or chances of winning. All these scores are just whatever the submitter sent. I take what I get because you're the sponsors.**


	39. Interviews

**Marcelene Chaplin**

I walked onto the stage and heard a round of applause. All of the tributes would come out soon, but I had to sit for a minute while I waited. I jumped when Minos came out faster than the average tribute. "Hello, Minos. Let me ask you, why did you volunter?"

Minos shifted for a while, and I guessed that his outfit was uncomfortable. It was covered in gems. Even I felt pity for the boy, and I was a Capitolite. "I wanted to make all of you lovely Panemites happy!" he lied through his teeth. _Get yourself some sponsors._

Glacine's outfit was tight and short. I could instantly guess what her stylist was going for, and I played along. "So Grace, do you have a sweetheart at home?"

She blushed, but I could tell it was fake. "No, I don't. I'm thinking I could fall in love with a Capitolite." Cheers roared through the audience. _You did well, girl._

"Ambrose, I hear you're quite the explorer. What's your favorite thing you've learned about?"

Ambrose fiddled with his little rose, and I took the time to notice that it blended well with the black shirt. _How does pink even manage to blend in with grey?_ "Well, I love all of the terrains. Did you know ice can be a desert? But my favorite will always be my District," he replied falteringly. He knew saying the Capitol would get him more sponsors, I guessed. _Someone's homesick._

Dove's outfit was surprisingly long for a girl like her. I thought her stylist wouldn't give her pants. The dark red lace matched her tone well, though. "Dove, are you just here to avenge your siblings?"

Dove's pupils flared and she gritted her teeth before responding. "Of course, I want to avenge my siblings. But I need to bring honor to my hometown, and I have my own personal reasons." _Yawn._

Faris waltzed right on the stage in complete confidence. I smiled, since I knew this would be a fun interview. Even his orange tux screamed peppy. "Faris, I hear you're quite the person to know. Why do your allies think you're so fun?"

"I make a lot of jokes, I guess. Wanna hear one?"

"Of course!"

"Well, I didn't like my tux. But I just told myself, 'Orange you glad it isn't green, too?'"

Norah looked very sophisticated in her dark red cocktail dress, and I figured this would be the only time I saw something so calm the entire day. "So, Norah, are you Three's next Victor?"

She looked at me and shrugged. "I don't know. Of course, it's possible, but it will be difficult. It would be a lot easier if I had more sponsors." _Gotta be more secretive than that..._

Sebastian's stylist was getting lazy when he was simply put in a blue tux. "Sebastian, how is life in Four?"

"Well, it's lovely. You _sea,_ there's a lovely shoreline. Everyone's _sunny,_ but sometimes _fishy_ things happen." The Capitolites hollered and I forced myself not to roll my eyes. _Hardy har har har._

"Serena, do you like the Capitol?"

"Of course! Everyone's super nice, and I made a lot of friends. Do you like it here?"

"Of course! I can agree with you completely. Isn't President Ginger amazing?" Serena quieted down a little bit when she noticed that I saw straight through her. _Outgoing is nice, but you stink._

Isaac had a tux on. Yay. I should become a stylist. "Isaac, do you like your time here so far?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I made too good of an impression on the Gamemakers. I tripped on the way in," he chuckled, blushing.

Simmons's dress was a cute little powder-yellow sundress with poofy sleeves. _She's innocent. You thought I wouldn't notice but I did._ "Simmons, I saw you dragging a teddy bear along? Is he your friend?" _Oh crud that sounded rude._

"Yeah! He comes with me everywhere. My parents gave him to me. I'm really happy I got to bring him to the-" she burst out crying before she could finish her sentence. I went over to comfort her, and I grinned as I heard "awwww" from the audience. At least she would be a favorite now.

Mustang was wearing a lovely tux with a red rose. He had a stuffed cat with him, which was weird but I'd seen weirder. "Mustang, are you interested in anyone here?"

"Well, there are lots of lovely ladies in the Capitol, but I have my own at home. I hope I can see you soon, Bianco!"

Kia walked up to me and offered me her hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Chaplin!"

"Nice to meet you, too, Kia! Let me ask you, why are you going to win the Games?" I noted that Kia was wearing flats with her off-the-shoulder white dress. Shorty. Should've worn heels.

"Well, of course I want to live, but I really have to get back home to my brother, Bentley. He won't survive long if I don't get home."

Carver was joining the boring parade with his tux. At least he had a red tie. He didn't fade into the background entirely. "So Carver, how was your life back in the District?"

He looked at me for reassurance before stating, "Actually, it wasn't that great. You see, I desperately need to get home to protect my brother, Danny. My Dad might hurt him if I don't. He hurt me a lot, and he killed my other brother." I could see tears forming in his eyes. _Fake tears._ "I wish I could meet Gerald and Brian again. The least I can do is help Danny if my dad ever gets close," he sobbed. _Sponsor hog._

Giselle's red dress was encrusted with diamonds. I hoped it wasn't as bad as Minos's. "Giselle, who do you think will be the Game's Victor?"

"I can't really answer that," she laughed. "Of course, the Careers have a good chance, but I actually think Carver does, too. And me. I've been training a lot!"

 _Khakis and a green shirt is worse than a tux._ Sisal's outfit only stood out because of the green bow tie. "Sisal, do you think you can win?"

"Well, it would be difficult, but I think I have a standing chance. I have the best ally in the world, after all." _Big liar. How did you even make it on stage?_

Rybbon's dress was lovely. It was a flowy blue-green dress with with green gems and a matching necklace. _I'm gonna have to call your stylist and get me one of those._ "Rybbon, what was the most embarrasing thing that ever happened to you in your District?"

"One time, I was walking around and I bumped into someone. I said 'sorry, child,' before I realized that he was older than me and just really short." I'm pretty sure I saw someone faint from lack of breath.

Andres was wearing a suit, but I couldn't hate his stylists because it was red. He tripped on his way to his chair and stood up, saying, "I meant to do that!"

"Andres, what's your favorite part of the Capitol?"

"I'd have to say the people and the toys. There's a bouncy ball maker on the train!" _The heck?_

Hyacinth walked onto the stage slowly, shying away from the edge and the people. I couldn't understand why. She was rocking her purple dress. _Where did they get the flowers for that crown? Must have!_ "Hyacinth, the Capitol can be overwhelming at times," I commented, finally noticing what she was doing. "What's your favorite way to relieve stress?"

"There's really good donuts here. There were some back in my District, but they weren't as good."

 _Khakis don't go with teal._ Nebojsa needed someone to call the fashion police. "Neb, we hear you're rather famous around your District. Would you care to explain?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm famous. I'm a vet. Pretty much, I help people whose dogs won't stop whining. I own a horse, so she helps me take care of other animals. Not literally, of course." The Capitolites were stupid for laughing at that.

 _At least it's not a tux._ Evie was wearing a red dress and some cowgirl boots. "Hi, Evie! How is District Ten?"

"Howdy! Ten is pretty nice. Y'all should visit sometime. It's got some of the nicest sunsets, and _whoo-whee_ are the valleys just gawgeous." _What even is this? We're civilized._

 _Whyyyyyy?_ Redd was wearing a tux. Three cheers for creativity! His tux was bright red, though, and I had to squint. Dumb lights. He had a tie that he seemed to want to take off. "Redd, do you miss your District?"

"Of course I do, but the Games can't be that bad. I do wish I had some way to remember Eleven, though. Randall gave me a rock to use as my token!" Even I laughed at that one. A rock?

Magpie was wearing an emerald dress. I had to stop for a second before I noticed that she had emerald _eyes._ _Nice touch, stylists._ "Magpie, what did you do back in your District?"

"Well, when I had free time, I liked to help out around my District. Sometimes I did it for money, but whenever we were well off I liked to help out. I had one friend who always needed help in the garden. She had an old back, and she couldn't bend over very well. I liked helping her."

Leonardo was wearing a white _suit_ and smiling smugly. _Shouldn't be so smug. You're in a tux and you're about to die._ "Leonardo, what do you think about going into the Games?"

He changed his composure completely before answering. He looked dumbfounded that he was here. _You'll trick the Capitolites, but not me._ "I can't believe it! I'm only twelve, you know. I never imagined that I would be here!"

Smudge's dress was covered in gems. She didn't seem like much of a talker, but she was keeping herself entertained by playing with the gems in the light. Usually I would heckle that outfit, but I couldn't heckle something she was wearing. The Capitol had filled her out pretty well. "Smudge, what do you think of your dress?"

"It's so pretty! Look at gems!" she exclaimed, showing me the skirt of her dress. "Capitol is so pretty. So many pretty things." _I can't heckle her! She's sincere!_ I touched the gem and smiled at her. It was a pretty dress.

* * *

 **Serena was wearing** **a one shouldered turquoise maxi dress with a feather pattern on it and a gold belt that is like a scarf but ain't no way am I slipping that into the chapter discreetly.**

 **Note: Marcelene is a sass. The outfits weren't necessarily that bad nor were the people that awful. Also, from what I've gathered, Carver isn't actually that sore. He just wants sponsors.**


	40. The Final Night

**Sisal Rutherford (15) D8M**

It was the night before the Games, and I was getting a bit antsy. I wanted someone to talk to, but I didn't want to be a burden on Rybbon. I figured she wouldn't mind, but I didn't want to interrupt her planning. When I was about to get up to try to find Ember, since there was no way I was talking to Elias, Rybbon walked in. "Sisal, do you mind talking?"

"Of course not!" I shook my head. "I was just looking for Ember. I wanted to talk to someone. It's a lot scarier the day before."

"Yeah. Do you wanna get your mind off of it?"

"Yeah. Wanna play truth or dare?"

"We can't really play truth or dare in the Games Center," she pointed out. "The Center is built so we don't get hurt. Nothing's scary."

"Wanna play would you rather?" Bouncing from game to game was no big difficuly for me. I happened to know a lot of simple games.

"All right, sure. Would you rather go into the Games or just die?"

 _Well that got morbid quickly._ "I guess go into the Games. At least then I have a chance," I replied falteringly. "Would you rather have tons of sponsors or just get a lot of food?"

"You know, we're really bad at keeping our minds off things. Sponsors. Would you rather live as a Victor, or live outside of Panem entirely?"

"Probably as a Victor, I suppose. The outside of Panem stinks. Would you rather never have anything sweet again or never be able to use a pillow again?" In response to that, Rybbon walked over to my bed and got a handful of candy. She popped a bunch in her mouth before offering some to me.

"Pillow. I like candy too much. Would you rather have to walk three miles a day or run a mile a day?"

"Well, I walk a lot, so that wouldn't be much worse than normal. Walk. Would you rather never hear one of my jokes again or get a dollar?"

"I'd rather get a dollar? What kind of question is that? Would you rather have scales or feathers?"

"Scales, because they'd act as armor and I'd be able to swim faster. Would you rather have gills or wings?"

"Wings, because then I'd be able to fly away from all the danger."

I looked over at the clock. It was almost ten thirty. "We had better get to bed soon. Thanks for talking," I said before she had time to ask me another would you rather. I was really tired.

"All right. See you tomorrow." I nodded sadly, slipping into my bed. Of course, I got another handful of candy before I fell asleep. I may as well enjoy the Capitol while I was in it.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (17) D7M**

As I thought about my interview, my need to win only increased. I hadn't done my job as well as I had hoped. Some people seemed annoyed by me, and not many seemed sorry for me. I could understand why, of course, since I was nearly an adult, but I had been hoping for sponsors. If I didn't get any of those, my odds decreased drastically.

I had to get home. Coming back in a box wasn't an option. Some people didn't have a reason, but Dad was getting out soon. He was supposed to serve a life sentence, but I knew he would find a way out. He had connections. He was well known around the District. He would find a way. I had to get back to help little Danny. If I didn't, nobody would.

Of course, there were other things, too. I didn't want to die, which was the most obvious one. It was also a matter of pride. I would prove my dad wrong. Whatever people said, abuse wasn't only physical. My dad always insisted that I couldn't do anything right. He probably had a good laugh when he heard that I was Reaped. He saw it coming. If I could win the Games, I could prove that I wasn't a failure. I wasn't just the Seven kid who died. I was another Victor; another time my dad was wrong. It happened sometimes that your parents were wrong. I hoped to add to the list.

One of the most important things was avenging Jullie and Gerald. Jullie went into the Games and never came out. I couldn't join her there. I would have to kill whoever tried to make me join her. I would see her again, but I had to make sure it wouldn't be any time soon. Gerald had to be avenged from my father. If I died in the Games, I could never make sure my dad stayed where he belonged. I would never be able to force him to leave my family alone.

I frowned as I thought about my selfishess. I thought about myself so much. _I_ had to live. I had to prove Dad wrong about _me._ That wasn't all there was to it. If I didn't make it, my mother wouldn't last long, either. I was the income. She was frail. She needed my paycheck. Suddenly, I wished that I had found an ally. I could ask him to support my family if he won.

Tears started rolling down my face as I realized my mistakes. I thought about how low the chances were that I would win. I made it clear that I was a threat; I should've faded into the background. Nobody could kill somebody that wasn't there. I shouldn't have been there. I should've been back in Seven. Then nobody could possibly kill me.

* * *

 **Kia Steer (13) D6F**

The Capitol had to have some cool places to see. It was the final night before the Games and I wanted to have some fun before I was sent to my death. Anything would be good to keep my mind of the oh-so-near future. I was dragging Simmons behind me as we searched for some cool thing to do before we were forced away.

Simmons pointed out a big mall, and I followed her to it. It was an amazing thing, but I knew we wouldn't be able to get anything. Anything we intended to keep, that was. We could probably buy the entire mall, since the owners loved tributes. I just knew it would be pointless, and Simmons seemed to agree. "Let's get makeovers!"

Simmons thought for a second before replying, "All right. The stylists will just re-do them before we go into the Games, though."

I nodded. "Let's get our nails done! The stylists don't seem to touch those."

"Sure! Where should we go?" We slowly made our way around the huge mall until we found a nail salon. It was big and fancy with tons of special doohickeys. We walked up to the person at the front and requested to have out nails done. He requested to have us pay up front, but we pointed at our faces and he nodded, alerting us that our information about tributes being free was correct.

"What do you want done?" Being a tribute who was about to be send into an epic battle, and being a thirteen-year-old girl, I promptly chose the most expensive thing they offered. I knew about half of the words that the salon used to describe what I was getting, and I guess that Simmons was thinkint the same thing. She chose what I chose and the worker got straight to his job. "That's a massage, a gel polish, a decoration, and a cuticle job. I'm sure you'll like the results."

The worker massaged my hands and feet, which I thought was super awkward, but I just let it happen. It was still fun, after all. I could see Simmons across the room and I smiled at her. Even if this was all going to get destroyed, it was nice. Then the worker started doing the so-called "cuticle job."

I learned that a cuticle job ws ferociously ripping the skin off the edges of your nails. Not just doing a little trim, but putting burning liquid on your fingers until the skin could be peeled off. Needless to say, it hurt. I gritted my teeth and dealt with it, but I was confident I saw Simmons crying. Both of us sighed when we were done.

The stylist asked us what colors we wanted, and I stared at the options for a while, awed by how numerous they were. There was about eight shades of pink. _Pink,_ not eight shades of red. After a while I chose one of the bright blues. They were really pretty, after all. The stylist painted on a beautiful coat before asking me what desig I wanted.

Simmons promptly picked a butterfly, but I thought for a while before choosing what I wanted. I could have virtually anything, and I wanted something amazing. I asked him if he could do a three-dimensional picture of a tiger, and he grimaced for a second before nodding. He worked away at it, and I was done with my manicure an hour after Simmons was done drying. She lurked by me while I had my nails dried, and I grinned at her. "This was a last night well spent."


	41. Into the Tubes

**Satin Legrasse**

I knew Glacine had a chance. She didn't even need my encouragement. I just let her walk into the tube without a word. Minos was the same, although I wasn't quite as sure about him. He liked his job helping kids too much for him to have a solid chance.

* * *

 **Shale Kennedy**

I waved at Ambrose as he got into his tube. "You're gonna come back to me. You got this," I told him, knowing he could do it. _Make your mother proud._ I hoped Dove didn't resent him for my obvious favoritism. She had her own mentor.

* * *

 **Tellie Cathode**

"Remember what I told you. Water is a conductor. Metal is, too. If it's a marshy Arena you need to climb a tree," I reminded Norah. Faris could take care of himself. He was always focusing on something else anyways.

* * *

 **Talaysa Pool**

Serena was such a nice person. I smiled at her and waved while she stepped in. Sebastian was a big meanie. He didn't even listen to my advice! I was a perfectly good Victor. Some people!

* * *

 **Sol Johnson**

Isaac got into the tube without a word, muttering something about how likely it was that he would be by a Career. Simmons burst into tears for the third time. I went over to her and hugged her. "Stay close to Kia. Keep an eye on your butterfly." That thing would be valuable in the Games.

* * *

 **Doppler Corvair**

This wouldn't be Six's best year. It probably wouldn't be the year I got a break, either. We had a gentleman and a thirteen-year-old. I hoped Kia's belief in magic wasn't completely wrong.

* * *

 **Cassia Rose**

Carver and Giselle had a fighting chance. I hoped one of them would come back to me. We needed a male Victor, and I couldn't hope they died. I could tell Giselle was scared, but I ignored it. She would never admit. Carver was poker-facing too, but he was his own story.

* * *

 **Elias Klum**

"Go into the Games and die! At least Rybbon isn't stupid. At least she listened to her mentor," I spat at Sisal. He glared at me, but he didn't say anything. The stupid kid barely practiced his knives.

* * *

 **Flora Amfora**

"Hyacinth, make sure to smile for the cameras! Andres, don't get yourself killed. You need to come back and be mentors. I'll make sure that you look as pretty as possible to get more sponsors." They were so scared. I wished they would calm down.

* * *

 **Bessie Deere**

Evie was tearing up as she got into her tube. I waved at her for as long as I could. I knew it would be my last time. Neb seemed surprisingly comfortable. _He's probably just showing off,_ I told myself. I hoped he wasn't. He didn't deserve to die.

* * *

 **Cherry Aims**

Redd and Magpie both stared at each other and nodded before they got into their tubes. _Some sort of odd plan, eh?_ They looked at me for reassurance and I joined the nodding party. I don't know why I nodded. There was nothing to nod about.

* * *

 **Bellepheron Steed**

Leonardo got into his tube with a brave face on, but I could see him faltering. He was scared, like any kid his age should be. Smudge didn't want to let go of my dress, and I started crying with her when she was forced off of me. She held her ring as she cried. _Come back!_

* * *

 **I thought ya'll needed some more Elias**


	42. Countdown

**Here's a tiny chapter to hold you over while I write the Bloodbath ;)**

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford (D8M)**

I looked around me and saw a vast, wet land. There were some trees in the far end of my vision, and I tried to catch Rybbon's attention. We needed to head to the forest; that was where the cover was. I could only hope nobody beat me to it.

 **Leonardo Hill (12M)**

59... 58... 57... 56...

There was a forest to my left and some weird patchy non-forest to my right. I wasn't entirely sure where to run, but I knew I would be headed for that dagger in the Cornucopia. I could hope that nobody would chase me, but if they did, I would just have to beat them to the dagger and run.

* * *

 **Norah Mendell (D3F)**

49... 48... 47... 46...

I was surrounded by little kids. I knew I didn't have to worry about any of them attacking me, but that didn't mean I wasn't getting out of there. There was a tarp by my platform. I could take that and run away, avoiding any projectiles.

* * *

 **Hyacinth Moraain (D9F)**

39... 38... 37... 36...

Norah was on my left. She wasn't a problem. Sisal was on my right. Also not a problem. The biggest problem would be running away from people. There seemed to be a lot of puddles, and this would be no easy place to navigate.

* * *

 **Magpie Orchard (11F)**

29... 28... 27... 26...

Redd was motioning rapidly to all of us. I could only assume what he meant. Faris seemed indifferent, likely because he was staring at the undergrowth. I shook my head "No." _Don't do it don't do it don't do it._

* * *

 **Evie Sage (10F)**

19... 18... 17... 16...

I couldn't see Dove or Smudge anywhere near me. _Crud._ I tried to find one of them, but the seconds were ticking down. We all knew where I would probably run. Hopefully they looked for me.

* * *

 **Mustang Colbolt (6M)**

9... 8... 7... 6...

Giselle was three spots to my right. A Career was to my left. _I know which way to run!_ I shifted my weight without turning my body. Sure, the Career probaby knew what I was going to do, but it hardly mattered. I had to be ready to run.

" **Let the 18th annual Hunger Games begin!"**


	43. Bloodbath

**Hyacinth Moraain (D9F)**

The Cornucopia was full of useful items. I saw weapons, food, and first aid kits. I knew I would need some of that if there was any chance of my survival. I also knew I was playing straight into the Careers' hands, but I didn't mind that too much. After all, there were twenty-four tributes and only five Careers. I had a chance.

As I was reaching down for a backpack, I felt a searing pain tear through my side. I stood up and prepared to run, but I was too late. Minos reached me and, after looking at me sadly for a second, stabbed me. As I went down I hoped my family was ok and remembered that Minos's weapon of choice wasn't a knife. _Hopefully Marley is fine..._

* * *

 **Andres Patino (D9M)**

Redd was running into the Cornucopia. I couldn't let that happen. I ran at him as fast as I could, but that wasn't very fast. I kept tripping and sloshing, and I had no idea how that kid didn't do the same. I was pretty near him when someone got in my way. It wasn't a Career, so I didn't know why it was blocking me. "Run!" she screamed before falling down. I took her advice.

I knew someone was going to get one of my alliance members. I hoped it wouldn't be Redd. There was a chance I could've saved him. Someone swooped in behind me and I fell. I wasn't dead yet, but I hoped that amongst the chaos they wouldn't realize that my cannon didn't sound. They left and I sat there, face-down in the water, pretending to be dead. I could run more later.

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford (D8M)**

Rybbon nodded at me and I took off as soon as the gong sounded. My odds of getting away from the Bloodbath without seizing were low; my odds of survival were even lower. I wanted to run away from there, but I was forced to march through deep water. I ducked down, hoping to avoid the throwing knives I had seen in the Cornucopia.

It turned out, throwing knives were the least of my problems. Sebastian appeared out of nowhere and knocked me down into the water. I struggled for all I was worth, but I knew it was hopeless. I couldn't win against a trained Career. He shoved me face into the water and I managed one final breath before I felt the life seeping out of me. Hopefully Rybbon at least made it out alive. I distracted one Career.

* * *

 **Dove Sybilla (D2F)**

I found Smudge beside me and gestured to the forest. It was where anyone with brains would run. She nodded and I ran into the Corucopia. With any luck, the Careers would forget that I had left them and allow me to escape with some supplies. While I grabbed stuff I looked for Evie. I couldn't see her anywhere, and I hoped she made it to the forest without me. She needed to live.

Grace came up beside me and pulled out a knife. I took one look at it and left. I didn't have time to waste in a fight, and getting injured would definitely mean death in this Area. I had gathered enough for now. I had a couple of packs and some random doohickeys. The Careers could fight me later. I needed to get to Smudge.

* * *

 **Redd Santorini (D11M)**

The Cornucopia was packed. There was a pile of ninja stars in it, and I knew that I wanted those. Of course, I also wanted to help out my alliance. If I could grab enough stuff, I could support us for a long time. I saw Hyacinth doing the same thing, and I hoped she would be all right. She didn't deserve to die.

I saw Carver coming for me and I cringed. He wasn't very mean. He usually stuck to himself. I knew he was just trying to thin the herd so things would be easier later, but I still wished I could go down by somebody else. I reached the ninja stars and chucked one at him. It hit his leg, which slowed him down, but not enough. He got to me and slit my throat with a different star. I gurgled and wished I had made it out. It was a stupid wish, but it was reasonable. _Hopefully Magpie's fine..._

* * *

 **Nebojsa Imanzi (D10M)**

There was death surrounding me, but there were a couple of dry patches. In one of them I saw a pack and I went to it. I found it easier to navigate the Arena than some, I could tell, since I actually made decent time. I reached the pack and snagged it, heading away from danger. Nobody seemed to have noticed me, so I was safe for the moment.

I headed to the scarcely treed section of the Arena. Everyone else was heading for the forest, except the Careers, who had claimed the Cornucopia. As long as I was all alone I could let my guard down a little bit more and have a much easier time winning the Games. All I had to do was hide any possible trail, which wouldn't be hard in an Arena like this. I reached the trees and headed in, happy to escape the cries.

* * *

 **Evie Sage (D10F)**

Dove and Smudge were still nowhere to be seen, and I knew we needed supplies. I headed to a part of the Cornucopia where there didn't seem to be anyone else, picking things up as I went. I might not be able to carry very much, but it would be better than nothing. Even if I only got one pack, it was something.

Serena lunged at me from behind the Cornucopia. _How did she even get there?!_ She was holding a two-sided dagger, and I knew that I was done for. That was her weapon of choice. I side-stepped her the best I could and managed to avoid any serious injury, grabbing a stick on the ground beside me. I swung it at her and she dodged. I kept swinging it, hoping to scare her away, but she stepped within my reach and stabbed me in the chest. I crumpled to the ground and wished I was back in Ten, taking care of Bessie. _Bye..._

* * *

 **Here's your Bloodbath! I tried to make it of a decent size but I had like no Bloodbaths so I had a small one instead. Obituaries:**

 **24th Place: Hyacinth Moraain- Stabbed by Minos**

 **Hyacinth was really nice to write. She was a quiet person, which could be difficult at times to capture, but she was still lovely. I might've skipped her over if it wasn't for lack of Bloodbaths. I tried to write her well and include her little things, like gardening. Thank you to MRKenn for Hyacinth.**

 **23rd Place: Sisal Rutherford- Drowned by Sebastian**

 **Sisal was originally a Bloodbath, and it was great to have a tribute I could do this to. I liked writing him and I did my best to make his epilepsy real. He had a great personality, and I hope he was able to grow like he was supposed to. Great thanks to tracelynn for sending in a tribute with a huge weakness and not just ignoring that part.**

 **22nd Place: Redd Santorini- Throat slit by Carver**

 **Redd was obviously not made to win. He was a twelve-year-old with ADHD. I almost liked him too much to kill in the Bloodbath, but there weren't many people and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep track of very many tributes. Redd had a lovely personality and he became someone I know, which made him super hard to kill. Thank to tracelynn again for supplying me with Bloodbaths and sending in a happy face.**

 **21st Place: Evie Sage- Haladied by Serena**

 **Evie was a more simple tribute, which made her nice to write. Her personality was one sentence long, which could get annoying, but it was a good break to not have to write a super complicated tribute and capture tons of personality. I knew she couldn't win and her submitter said I could kill her as a Bloodbath, so she was lost here. Thank you to NightCat for a tribute that was easy and smooth to write.**


	44. The First Night

**Note: The Arena is a swampy area with trees scattered about it. Some of the trees are tightly packed and some are scarcely placed. This is just info for sponsoring purposes so you know what your tribute will need.**

* * *

 **Simmons Hall (D5F)**

Kia and I were sloshing away into the forest, heading away from all the screams and away from all the death. Almost all of the other tributes ran into the forest too, but we didn't care. We just headed where we could get to higher ground and gather ourselves. That was all that mattered.

As soon as we hit trees we started to climb. We were two of the smallest tributes in the Arena. We could easily slip deep into the branches and avoid people for a day or two. Both of us had gathered some things on the edges of the Cornucopia, unwilling to leave everything behind but not wanting to leave empty-handed. We had to take inventory of what we had. I needed to have a chance to collect myself.

Kia got to a good height before I did. She took my items from me and helped me heft myself up the rest of the way. We sat on our branches, the weakest ones that would hold us, and spread out what we had. I had grabbed a water bottle and a bag of fruit. Kia had grabbed a thin sheet of plastic. Neither of us knew what that would be used for. The trees were pretty dry. _Water._ It suddenly clicked in my mind that the tarps weren't for getting water off; they were for pulling water in. "It's for water!" I squeaked.

"What? There's plenty of water on the ground," Kia replied, seemingly confused.

"Plenty of dirty water," I informed her. "It's probably filthy. We can only drink that as a last resort. Allow me." I put the tarp out over a bunch of branches, knowing what that would do. "The dew will collect on the tarp. We won't have a lot of water, but it'll be better than nothing."

Kia nodded as she pulled out the water bottle. "All right. We should save this as long as possible, then, if we aren't going to get much water from that. Do you have any purifiers?" I shook my head no. Kia raised her arms. "Hey! All you watchers! If you send anything, please send iodine tablets! We will love you!" I giggled, but she seemed entirely serious. "Sponsors don't want to sponsor tributes who won't be grateful," she whispered to me. "It would be so lovely I could cry!" she screeched.

"I might too! I've already cried a lot. Make my day by making me cry from happiness and not sadness?" I added, hoping for anything. Suddenly Kia quieted down and I realized our stupidity. We got up and left, hopping from tree to tree. I grabbed the tarp as we were on our way out. We couldn't lose that.

* * *

 **Serena "Siren" Hasvak (D4F)**

All of the Careers gathered around the Cornucopia eagerly. We discussed our kills proudly, though there wasn't much to be proud about. None of us took out very strong competitors, and I had only taken out Hyacinth. Sebastian was off-puttingly proud about how he drowned Sisal, but all of us smiled and nodded about his accomplishment. As annoying as he was, he would be a fierce opponent, and we couldn't have him on our bad side yet.

Just like anyone else would, I was feeling a period of grief about killing Hyacinth. I was sure all of the other Careers were, too. They just didn't want to seem like the weak link. Except Sebastian. He probably was happy. I took my time consoling myself about the fact that she probably would have died anyways, and I had managed to make her death as fast as I could. She even managed to hit me once with her stick, and pretty hard. She had a prideful death.

Minos was dilligently taking inventory of our items while all of this was going on. I walked over to him and helped him empty out backpacks to find all the wonders inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a body that had been missed by hovercrafts. _Missed?_ I went over to it to check it out, motioning to Minos to keep an eye on me. I didn't want to get killed by sneak attack.

The tribute was breathing slightly as I walked up to it. I made my way over as quietly as I could in this awful marsh, and he didn't seem to notice me. He was twitching slightly, so I knew he was alive- but barely. This would be an easy kill for me, which was nice. I couldn't allow myself to be viewed like some of the other Careers. I prepared my haladie, ready to kill again. This would hurt more than last time, but the Games were bound to hurt. All of us knew that, but not all of us knew how much.

Suddenly, the kid got up. He lunged at me in my still somewhat dazed state and knocked me down. I stabbed at him as much as I could, but my haladie was considerably less useful when I had already been knocked down and my arms were covered in water. _Stupid resistance._ I had to get out of the water, but that was easier said than done.

Momentarily, I forgot that we were in the Cornucopia. The kid, who I indentified as Andres, whipped out a spear from beside us and began to stab me right back. He was stabbing from above, and gravity was on his side. I started thrashing wildly in hopes that I could knock him off of me, and I was successful. I got out from underneath him, but he stood up beside me, obviously ready to continue the fight. Too bad for him, Minos was already nearly to us.

Andres seemed to realize that, and he stabbed me. Now that we weren't in deep water, the spear went in a lot deeper than it had before. I felt my insides tear apart as he jerked the spear back out of me and stabbed me again. I prepared my haladie, ready now to block more than attack. I could spare some time. He slashed the spear at me again, twisting it as it went and knocking my blade away. My weapon made a dent in his, but his weapon tore through my body. I felt all of the life draining out of me as he punctured my chest, tearing deep into my heart. As I went, I thought about the irony. I was killed the same way I killed Hyacinth. I felt bad now. I was sure she felt the same when she went.

* * *

 **Andres Patino (D9M)**

As I thought about what I had just done, I cringed. I had attacked someone like an animal and I had killed them. I tried to console myself, to let myself know that I had to. I originally planned to take out a lot of people in the Bloodbath, and I meant it in all seriousness. Now I knew the true feeling of killing someone, and I never wanted to do it again. Serena's body was battered and torn, and I felt entirely awful. I felt some tears dripping down my cheeks, and I knew I wouldn't be recovering anytime soon. Once I was sad, I was sad for good.

Luckily, I wouldn't have to be sad for long. A Career was coming to me from behind. While I hadn't seen him yet, Serena had certainly noticed him, and I had heard him coming towards me. I turned to face him, already knowing that I was going to enter a battle I couldn't win. Serena was only defeated because I sneak attacked her. This Career was heading to me with every advantage.

He reached me and I had time to notice that it was Minos before he began to batter me. I lashed at him with my spear, but I was already defeated. He knew it. He seemed to be trying to cause me the least pain possible while I fought to kill him. I wished I could afford the mercy he was showing me. I wanted nothing more than just to leave, to leave the Arena, to leave Panem. I wanted to get out of everything forever. With one well-placed hit, Minos granted that wish, and I was cast into an endless darkness.

* * *

 **Here's another chapter! If it's crummy let me know. Seriously, I'm super doubtful about these things so if anything's wrong tell me! I need to know to fix things.**

 **20th Place: Serena Hasvak- Stabbed repeatedly by Andres**

 **Serena was pretty fun to write. She had a nice character, and it's nice to get a chill Career now and then. One of the Careers was bound to die this chapter, and she died by bad luck. I had my sister (Not LCS) say a number and Serena was chosen to die. She went down hard and she managed to take out a competitor beforehand. Thank you to Aceswims for Serena.**

 **19th Place: Andres Patino- Mace to the Head from Minos**

 **Andres was super cool to write. I got attached to him and had a hard time killing him. He was attached to his family, and I loved him for that. However, he got put in a bad situation during the Bloodbath and he couldn't recover. He did manage to take out one of the Careers, and that's quite a feat. Thank you to unicorntopiapoop for Andres.**


	45. Sweet and Sticky

**Here's another chapter! I'm sorry it was so late D: I was really out of it and I didn't want to give you something too crummy. And I'm a terrible procrastinator. *hangs head***

* * *

 **Magpie Orchard (D11F)**

When Faris and I saw each other, we instantly headed to each other. I was too busy running to notice where Redd or Andres were, but I was thinking about them. _Oh my gosh he's gonna die._ We exchanged knowing glances as we decided to stop and set up camp. "We should get off the ground," I said, trying to keep our minds off of what would inevitably be said at some point. "It's wet; it will suck our warmth," I mumbled.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, did you get anything we could use?" Faris replied, staring at me and waiting.

I looked at the ground and frowned. "No. I was too busy running," I admitted. "There are trees, though. We could peel branches off of them and lay them down," I planned as I spoke. Although I hadn't done much training in the shelter section, all of that was pretty much common sense. Also, I didn't want to be any more wet than I already was.

"All right," Faris replied, obviously thinking as he spoke as well. He leapt up and caught a branch, hoisting himself into the tree. He peeled off leaves and branches and cast them down to me. I arranged them all in a tangle by the trunk of the tree, hoping that the rest of the branches would provide shelter from any rain. I didn't think the Gamemakers would send much rain, since we didn't really need it, but anything could happen. "Is that good?"

"Could you peel off some bark?" I asked him, peeling some bark on my own. If we had some long slabs, we could use them nicely to hold warmth. I chunk of bark hit me on the head, and I took that as a yes. I gathered all of the bark he threw down and added it strategically to our pile of branches. After re-arranging things about eight times, I looked up at Faris, who promptly repeated his previous question.

After examining our new nests for a while, I nodded to him. He scrambled down from the tree and stared at what I had made for a while before climbing on top. I shook my head. "You should burrow in. Then you'll keep more warmth." He seemed off-put by that, and understandably so. The branches were sure to scratch and have sap, but it would be better than leaving ourselves completely exposed. I tunneled into the pile we had made and thought about the days back at home, doing this with all the leaves. I knew we would have to worry about supplies later, but for now, I just wanted to think about the leaves.

* * *

 **Giselle Parkfields (D7F)**

Mustang and I made it safely out of the Bloodbath, much to my surprise. It seemed that all of the Careers were too busy with other tributes, and I wasn't about to complain. While I didn't have much stuff to hold me over, I could tell that Mustang had grabbed a thing or two before fleeing. While I knew that we would have to split at some point, I didn't mind working with Mustang for the moment. Allying with him certainly had its advantages. "What did you get?" I called to him as we made our way deep into the forest.

He turned to me, hefting two packs and a canteen. I knew that that water would be useful; you could tell the water in the Arena was disgusting just by looking at it. "Can I unload once we set up camp?" he puffed, "I don't know what's in the packs yet."

I nodded as I found a good place for us to stop. Naturally, I didn't want to relax out in the open. Deep in the forest would be the best place to be despite the fact that many other tributes would be in there. It would give us better opportunities for the shelter I was planning. "Set down all of your stuff and help me make a shelter," I instructed him.

He dropped all of his supplies and hurried over to me, seemingly getting ready to climb into the tree. "Should we get off the ground?" he asked me as he began parting branches. "There's lots of wood, but I can't really make a fire. The wood's all wet," he informed me as he stepped out of the way, still holding branches for me. He gestured towards the opening, and I climbed up the little bit he had made easier for me. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. The gesture meant what I was sure he wanted to do for me.

We spread out our supplies in our perch and quickly discovered how lucky we really were. We didn't have any weapons, but that didn't really matter to us. I knew the packs were too small to hold any weapons I could use, and Mustang didn't seem to have a choice weapon. However, we had food. We counted five cans of peaches and a bag of dried fruit. Mustang and I glanced at each other, and I said, "We should stay up here as long as possible, then. We can last a while."

We also had the canteen full of water and a water bottle. Of course, we knew that was important, but it was slightly less exciting. After all, that wouldn't last nearly as long. I could tell that Mustang was disappointed, but I smiled at him. "We have so much stuff!" I encouraged him. In all honesty, the lack of water would be troublesome, but I didn't want him to be sad.

We found one blanket in our pack as well. I laid it out for both of us to use, but it wasn't big enough to cover two people without us touching each other a lot. Mustang took one glance at it and turned away, leaving me to cover myself with the blanket and him to keep watch. I smiled n honest smile once I knew he wasn't looking. I couldn't let him know how much I valued him. It was too dangerous.

* * *

 **Leonardo Hill (D12M)**

Running through the swamp was _hard._ I was forced to be content with trudging along at a snail's pace in order to get away from the Bloodbath. Of course, I grabbed a few items before I went left, but I was regretting that as I tried to make it deeper into the forest. My supplies were heavy, but I didn't quite know what would be useful and what wouldn't yet. I had to keep everything with me until I knew, which could be a long time.

Figuring I was somewhat safe, I sat down for a quick break. I checked around me before sitting down, as one might expect, but nothing and nobody was near me, and I decided I would be safe for the time being. I could catch my breath for a little bit before continuing even farther until I hit the edge of the Arena. Once I was there I could settle down a bit, killing anyone who got near me. It seemed like a pretty safe plan.

Carver thought otherwise. I could see him slowly making his way toward me, apparently following the path I had made in the undergrowth. I got up and got ready to run away as fast as was possible in the deep water before he saw me. He noticed me before I got a good head start, but that was no difficult matter. I would likely be faster than him; I knew how to run. He began to chase me as I began to run. The chase was on.

Naturally, I fished through the one pack I thought to bring with me while I ran. I might not have good enough aim to kill him with my knives, but I could certainly slow him down. He seemed to have a nasty gash in his leg anyways, and he was already slower than he might be. With any luck, I would tear him up enough that he wouldn't get back up. He was slowing down already.

I learned the error of my ways when I was swept off my feet by a plant. A _plant._ I had no idea what was happening; plants didn't eat people. It was slowly wrapping itself around me, and I remembered learning about some weird plant that ate flies. The Gamemakers must have made this thing just for me. Out of instinct I began to stab it repeatedly, but it didn't seem to mind. It was a plant. All I could do was try to untangle myself as it tightened and my breath ran out. _Screw you, Carver._

* * *

 **18th Place: Leonardo Hill- Sundewed**

 **Leonardo was interesting. It's not every day you get a tribute from Twelve with prior training. Some people didn't like him, but he was fine to write. It was nice to have one person that I could kill without hurting too many feelings. One of his weaknesses was being arrogant, and he was dumb enough not to look where he was running. I do have a big thank you for littlehalfpint for submitting someone who wasn't meant to win. You the real MVP.**


	46. First Cannons

**Note: Flora's POV is hers. The rest of the bolded names are cannons and non-bolded names are the POV, until Faris's.**

* * *

 **F** **lora Amfora**

This year wasn't that great, but next year would be better. Hyacinth didn't get nearly as many sponsors as she should have, and that was quite disappointing. She certainly deserved better, and I would make sure the next female tribute got what they deserved. Andres was certainly something to be proud of. Not everybody took down a Career. Naturally, I wished he could have come back and taken over mentoring for me, but I mostly wished he hadn't died. The Games were fun, but his death wasn't.

* * *

 **Hyacinth Moraain-** Norah Mendell

I had to force myself not to just think "one tribute closer to home," and I managed. Hyacinth was a lot like me. She was one of the quieter tributes, and I almost wished we could've made an alliance. She could've hidden with me.

* * *

 **Sisal Rutherford-** Rybbon Marbroox

Sisal was dead. I knew it, but I could never admit it. I guess I ditched him after all. Tears began to pour as I realized that I had done exactly what my dad thought I would. I couldn't keep Sisal alive for one day. I definitely couldn't keep myself alive.

* * *

 **Redd Santorini-** Magpie Orchard

Redd didn't deserve to die. He was just having some fun before he was taken to the Games. He was a kid just like the rest of us. If heaven was real, he certainly went there. No god could take him away from that.

* * *

 **Evie Sage-** Dove Sybilla

She didn't make it out. Smudge and I both knew it, of course. She was just a baby. She wasn't much to Smudge, but I knew it wasn't malice. She just knew not to get attached. To me, she was another person that I had failed. She was just like my sister.

* * *

 **Serena Hasvak-** Minos Vella

I should've been able to save her. She wasn't far away. I should've just thrown a spear at the kid. If I had another chance, I would. But would never be able to, and that was why I failed.

* * *

 **Andres Patino-** Faris Nye

Our alliance had been halved. Redd was just a kid, but I thought Andres had a chance. Not much of one, but better than Redd. His death reminded mme how close mine could be. Magpie had to be thinking the same thing. She was mourning, but somewhere in her, I knew she had to be thinking it. I couldn't be the only one.

* * *

 **Leonardo Hill-** Carver Redwood

That kid didn't have a chance. I hoped his death was quick, but I knew it wasn't. I saw his corpse in the plant before the hovercraft had time to pick it up. Even if he had to die for me to get home, I didn't want him to die like _that._ Nobody deserved that.


	47. Deception

**Faris Nye (D3M)**

Now that we knew that Andres and Redd were dead, Magpie said we should get new allies. As dangerous as I had to acknowledge that would be, I was all for it. Just having one other person with me was quite lonely, and I couldn't really take it. I was an extrovert, and I was slowly dying, especially with how quiet Magpie was getting to be. I couldn't be mad at her for being sad, but I wished she was still more talkative. She was so unlike herself.

We slowly made our way through the forest, and our legs were quickly soaked. I glanced at Magpie and saw her grimacing. "Wet socks are the worst," I commented, trying to make light of the situation. She nodded, not commenting that any number of things could be hidden in the water. I took off my shoes for a second, took off my socks, and put my shoes back on. While I was trying to make Magpie laugh, I really did hate wet socks. _I'd rather die._

Both of us were thirsty, but as long as it was just us we weren't willing to stop and get a drink. Judging by the color of the water, even if we had more people with us we wouldn't be willing to stop and get drinks. We'd probably die. I grabbed a handful of leaves and sucked on them, hoping they weren't poisonous. It didn't really matter either way. If they were, I was just speeding up my death. I would've died of thirst. I offered Magpie some leaves and then I really had to hope that they weren't poisonous. I would feel awful if I killed her.

 _Well you're gonna have to._ I closed my eyes and forced the thoughts out of my head. Magpie seemed to notice the sudden change I had, but I laughed it off. "I was just trying to imagine how great it would be to be a Victor," I lied. It was only half a lie, since I would only kill Magpie to be a Victor. "We could never be wet again!"

Magpie chuckled half-heartedly and went back to walking. Being the genius I was, I got a bright idea. "Let's look for allies in the trees!" Magpie seemed to think I was insane, but I climbed a tree and looked for anyone that might be interested in an alliance. I spotted a loner and called out to Magpie, "Hey! I found someone who would ally with us! It's Norah!"

Before Magpie had a chance to respond, I jumped down from the tree and started heading towards Norah. "Hey!" I called out, raising one hand. While she hadn't seemed interested in allying during the train ride, I knew she would change her mind. After all, now we were actually in the Games. She was probably scared, too. She had to be, in an Arena like this. Anything could attack her.

* * *

 **Norah Mendell (D3F)**

I was just minding my own business, trying to find some food in the Arena, when a guy came running to me out of nowhere. He was moving a lot faster than I would be able to in water this deep, and even if I ran, there was nowhere to hide. I pulled out a dagger I had grabbed in the Bloodbath and wielded it at him, trying to make myself look far more confident than I was. He ran at me anyways, and I steeled myself for a fight.

When he got close enough, I stabbed him. It hurt me to know I was trying to kill someone, even if he was likely trying to kill me. He yelped but didn't run away, so I stabbed him again. He didn't appear to be armed, and I aimed straight for his chest. I thought that that would kill him the quickest. I noticed that he had an ally and I tried to hurry things up so she wouldn't attack me.

Finally, a cannon went off, and I had time to examine what I had done. I nearly threw up in the horror of it all. It was Faris, and the "dangerous" ally was the little girl from Eleven. I fell down and started crying. Faris would never try to hurt me. I had just stabbed him for no good reason. I dropped my dagger in the water, never wanting to see it again. I knew I would have to kill again if I wanted to win, but I also knew that I could procrastinate for a long time.

I knew that the hovercraft had to come to pick up Faris' body, so I left. I didn't want to, but I did. I looked at the ground where I had dropped my dagger and picked it up. I grabbed it tightly and almost started crying again. The dagger had been used to _kill_ something, and I told myself I wouldn't do that if it was avoidable. Somehow, I still couldn't leave it behind. I couldn't afford to. I despised the Gamemakers for making some of my first feelings horror and grief. They didn't deserve to be in power. They didn't deserve anything.

As I wandered away aimlessly, I slowly justified what I had done. Faris didn't deserve to die; that fact was unavoidable. However, neither did I. I knew I could never really get over killing him, but I could add logic to it to make it not seem as bad. The more I thought about it, and avoided any bad thoughts, the more sense it made. It was just self defense. I had to get home. _I'm going to kill again._

* * *

 **Kia Steer (D6F)**

Simmons and I rejoiced when we saw a parachute floating down from the sky. Being the slightly taller one, I reached it before she did. It had a beautiful 5 written on it, so I tossed it to her. She opened it up and did a little happy dance. I couldn't tell if it was fake for more sponsors or real, so I went over and checked. It was real. We had received iodine, which was our special request, and friendship bracelets, which we promptly put on. I noticed her holding something and I peeked over at her, trying to figure out what it was.

She showed me a note that said:

 **Simmons,**

 **You're doing great! Everyone back home is rooting for you. We've always liked you Simmons, but you pushed us away. If you come back to us, we'll make sure to be extra nice and help you fit in.**

 **-Bridgett**

She was crying a little and I had no idea why. "I didn't know they liked me," she whispered, tears still falling. She curled up and put her head between her knees, and I was a bit worried about her mentality.

"Of course they liked you! Who wouldn't?" I commented loudly, trying to make her stop crying. She uncurled and stared at me.

"I thought nobody liked me. I always thought they hated me. I thought you only wanted to use me," she replied, each sentence punctuated by a sniffle. "I didn't know they liked me. I was the mean one."

"Aw Simmons, there's no way you were mean!" I continued, trying to cheer her up. "You were just trying to protect yourself!" I peeped inside the box we had received and pulled outr a bottle of nail polish. "Come on, the best thing you can do know is apologize and show that you're grateful."

She nodded and looked at the sky. "Sorry Bridgett! I'm sorry everyone," she sobbed. I hugged her and offered her the bottle again.

"You're butterly's fading. You should paint it on again. I'm sure Bridgett wouldn't want you to be sad," I quietly tried to reassure her. "I'll paint it for you and you can do my nails, ok?"

She nodded and I took her hand, slowly painting her nail. We didn't have very much nail polish, and I didn't want to waste it, so I only did the one hand. We also only had one color, so I couldn't very well do many designs. After I was done with her, Simmons took my hands and painted on a bird. It wasn't the beautiful tiger I used to have, but it still meant a lot to me.

I drank all of the dew had collected on the tarp and made it into a makeshift cup. I took the cup and filled it up with water, dropping in one of our tablets. I took a vine off of the tree we were in and used it to tie the tarp shut so all of the water wouldn't pour out. Simmons drank the water bottle and filled it up, dropping in another tablet. We were rich.

* * *

 **Here's another chapter! I'm sorry I'm late again but I haven't been into it. Now that I've written some I am again, so I'll try to write a lot today. Obituaries:**

 **17th Place: Faris Nye- Daggered by Norah**

 **Faris was a great tribute. I liked writing him and he had a cool personality. However, he was sent in to die. I wouldn't mind that too much except for the fact that I figured someone who wanted their tribute to win should be allowed to win. Great thanks to tracelynn for sending in a dude who was fun to write and wasn't supposed to be a Victor.**

 **Also, Magpie got sponsored a feast and some iodine tablets directly after Faris died. She got other stuff, but that will be written about when we next see her.**


	48. Slow and Steady

**Magpie Orchard (D11F)**

While I fled from Norah I seriously reconsidered my plans about making a new ally. I had lost all three of my friends to other tributes, could I really afford risking talking to another tribute? I knew staying alone wouldn't work too well for me, but it was probably better than having to talk to someone. I kept sloshing through the water until I heard voices ahead of me and came to a dead stop. _Should I talk to them?_ Naturally, I didn't want to risk anything, but they seemed pretty young. I could barely see them from where I was, and they looked harmless.

As I was choosing whether I should stay hidden or make my presence known, a kind sponsor made that choice for me. A parachute came floating down from above me and I watched in terror as the others' heads turned towards me. Even if they were small, I was too, and I couldn't take both of them at once. They stared at me for a while before asking, "Who are you?"

After taking a step back to make it clear to them that I had no intentions of attacking them, I said, "I'm Magpie. I just lost the last member in my alliance. Would you be interested in allying with me?" It was a dangerous thing to admit, but I could risk it. I needed a chance at another ally. I was dead meat by myself.

They looked at each other and whispered amongst themselves for a while before finally turning to me and saying, "Sure! I'm Kia, and this is Simmons. Come on up!"

"Thanks!" I went over to them, heaving my sponsor gift behind me. If they were nice enough to let me ally with them, I could definitely share with them. They already had an abundance of items with them, but they didn't appear to have some of the things I had. "I got a bunch of food, some iodine, and a water bottle, which I don't know why they set me since it's empty. I also got a tent," I announced as I pulled it out of the box. "I don't think it's big enough for all of us, but it doesn't have to be, since one of us can keep watch while the others sleep."

Kia stared at me for a bit before saying, "We have some iodine and a tarp, but that's pretty much it. What kind of food did you get?"

I took out some potatoes from my box and offered them to my new allies. "I got a lot of stuff. It could probably last days," I commented before realizing that it would last _me_ days. It wouldn't last three people nearly that long. "We can share it!" I offered.

"Oh thanks! We're starved," Simmons finally piped up. "Do you want us to do your nails?" Of course, I nodded. Although I missed Faris, I couldn't imagine a much better outcome than me allying with these two. We set up our tent and I kept first watch, grateful that they already trusted me.

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt (D5M)**

Even as I trained with spears, I didn't know whether or not I would be able to get one in the Arena. I had formulated a plan for it regardless, but I planned for a lot of things that I never thought would happen. Much like I expected, I didn't get a spear from the Cornucopia. I couldn't risk that. However, to my surprise, we had a marsh Arena- with trees. I could just use one of them.

Sharpening a branch to a point was no easy task, but I knew it was possible. I broke one of the branches off of a big tree and worked on it night and day. While it did take me a long time, I didn't mind too much. It gave me something to do. I could carve and carve until I slowly made myself a formidable weapon. I threw rocks at small animals while I worked, and managed to catch myself a squirrel. I couldn't very well roast it, so I ate it raw and hoped for the best. It made me wish my spear was done so I could start a fire without fear of being attacked.

The tip of my spear slowly grew pointier, and once I decided it was good enough I tore a vine off of the tree I was lurking in. I had to be very careful while pulling because I had climbed up high with my squirrel and I wouldn't want to fall to my death. Once I had my gorgeous vine, I began to work on making a hole in my stick, which also wasn't easy. I had to slowly carve it out with my fingernails, and my fingers were bloody and nearly all of my nails had broken by the time I was done. However, I now had a spear that I could use again and again.

I went down near the surface of the water and decided to try out my new weapon. I grabbed the vine and waited until I saw something near the surface. I chucked my spear at it as hard as I could and laughed when I speared a fish. My aim had been horribly off, but the fish wasn't where it seemed to be, anyways. I knew that fish were dangerous raw, so I went down to the ground to start a fire. I wanted to stay high up, but I wasn't going to start a fire in a tree.

When I landed on the ground I headed toward the river, deciding that if I was on the ground I may as well be near water. I reached into the water to grab a stick and something bit me! Quickly pulling my hand out of the water and backing off a bit, I examined what was in the water. I saw a head poke up and ran back a bit farther, still staring at my attacker. It rose out of the water the rest of the way and I sighed. I really hate turtles.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (D7M)**

The anger I felt against the Gamemakers for killing Leonardo they way they did was slowly fading as I made my way through the swamp. I knew he was going to die anyways, and I started thinking it was less and less harsh. After all, he was a brat. I had much better things on my mind, too. The cut that Redd kid gave me back at the Bloodbath was starting to get all swollen up, and I knew that any number of things could be lurking in the water. An infection could wipe out anyone, even a Career, and I certainly wasn't stronger than they were.

While I knew I should clean out the wound, I didn't have any way to do that. I rubbed it a lot, hoping that the heat would kill some of the germs. We boiled our meat at home to make sure it was clean, so maybe the germs would die? It was better than doing nothing and risking my life. I had to at least try to fight off the disease. If I let it sit there was no chance that it would leave.

Just rubbing at my wounds wasn't enough to keep me occupied, though. I wanted to keep my thoughts off of Redd and how much I hated him, since I felt a lot of shame hating a twelve-year-old who just wanted to live, even if he had hurt me. A good way to do that was to work on getting water. I got a water bottle before I ran from the Bloodbath, and while the water wasn't entirely clean, I filtered it the best I could and chugged it. Most of it came right back out, and I didn't even bother trying to hunt. Nothing could possibly stay down when I was like that.

Slowly, I allowed my thoughts to wander to how much I hated the Gamemakers, instead. I had no shame when it came to adults who made me go through this, or adults who made Redd do this to me. I didn't want to go around hating everybody I came by, but somehow, they didn't seem like bad people to set my fury against. They were the ones who caused all of this, they were the ones I should be mad at. Simple as that.

I clambered up a tree after a while, keeping watch for other tributes. Being injured was no excuse for being off-guard, regardless of how bad the injury was. If an opponent came near me, I would make sure they regretted it, even if I died trying. I wasn't going to go down without a fight, even if I got attacked by germs. I would find a way. I had to.


	49. The First Hunt

**This chapter is particularly long, but seem people needed more mentioning and I figured you didn't mind.**

* * *

 **Dove Sybilla (D2F)**

Smudge and I slowly made our way from tree to tree, day after day. Neither of us wanted to stay in one place for very long, and for good reason. The Careers had to be getting antsy for the hunt. Only three cannons had sounded since the Bloodbath, and no Career would settle for that few kills. They certainly wouldn't be willing to share that many amongst themselves. If we were caught by them, I knew they would have a special surprise in store for me. Careers hated traitors.

The problem was, constantly moving meant constantly using energy. Constantly using energy meant that we were quickly running out of food and water. While I had a water bottle, the water wasn't pure. I set it out in the sun and hoped for the best, but neither of us wanted to drink that except as a last resort. Smudge was doing surprisingly well with the lack of food, but she never had much. Being a rich Career, I was used to a lot more food than we normally had. I caught fish on occasion, but those could be super poisonous if not prepared properly, and I wasn't willing to start a fire.

Luckily, I knew some plants. This Arena was packed with wildlife, and I picked all of the edible plants I saw. I grabbed some medicinal herbs while I gathered, since having those around couldn't hurt. It wouldn't surprise me if Smudge hurt herself with the knife I had given her, or if I accidentally threw my knife at a tree wrong and it hit me in the head. Bandages would've been lovely just in case, but I had plenty of supplies that we shouldn't have an accidental death.

I noticed a plant that was particularly long and sticky, and I touched it. Anybody would have. I pulled my hand back as soon as it started to curl up. _Note to self, don't touch wildlife._ I showed Smudge the plant, just so that she would know not to touch it. She nodded at me before poking it with a stick from afar. It was a good source of entertainment for a bunch of people who were stuck in a marsh. She and I took turns poking it for a while before I pulled her away, remembering our dire situation. A break was nice, but it couldn't last too long. We would die.

We headed off, this time with Smudge in the lead. For some odd reason, I trusted her not to lead us into danger. I knew she wouldn't do it on purpose, since she would be more likely to die than me, but she could still do it on accident. Somehow, she always managed not to. She even managed to avoid a patch of the weird plants which I probably would have fallen straight into. It shamed me to know that a kid was better at leading than I was, but it wasn't too bad. Everybody had their strong suits.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

Losing Sisal was devastating, and the thoughts of error stuck with my as I traveled through the marsh. I knew that I had failed my only ally, and I would likely never get over it. I had already cried a lot, after checking to make sure no cameras could see me. I didn't know where there were cameras, but I knew where they probably weren't. Even if I was being a baby and crying like my dad always said I would, he wasn't allowed to see that. Nobody was.

During the Bloodbath I had gotten a little bit of food and a short knife, as well as a stabbed leg. Whoever got the throwing knives was certainly a formidable opponent. Luckily, the edible plants station taught medicinal plants as well. I made myself a basic poultice, since that was all I had earned, and tore my shirt off near the bottom to make a makeshift bandage. While it was far from perfect, it was better than nothing. I probably should've changed the bandage a lot more than I did, but I wasn't risking making my shirt get steadily smaller and smaller. That was in the same category as me crying.

I needed food. The Arena was full of plants, but they weren't very filling. I probably wouldn't die of starvation while I searched, but I wouldn't be at the top of my game, and I couldn't let that happen in the Arena. Being in the actual hunt also got my mind of off Sisal, which was a big plus. It even proved to me that I could have a chance at winning, since I could kill. Killing a small creature was far from killing a human, but I thought I could do that, too, if I had to. It would be nasty, but I certainly could. Mentally speaking, not physically. I wasn't too sure if I could easily take down an opponent.

After many tries, I managed to successfully knife a frog. It was ugly and squishy, but it was meat, and I was very appreciative. As jerky as the Gamemakers could be, it was hard to hate them when they had provided the frog. I couldn't start a fire, but I could dry my frog a bit in the sun. I would just have to force myself to wait to eat it until it was a bit drier. A bit of work in self control couldn't hurt. While I was never too impulsive, practice on nearly anything can't hurt. It just improves the skill in case need ever be.

Water was my next priority. I realized the foolishness of it not being my first priority after I had caught my frog, and by then it was too late. I got a plastic water bottle at the Bloodbath, but it was empty, and I couldn't really drink Arena water. However, even I knew that putting water in the sun purified it. I filled up my water bottle and left it in the sun near my frog. Climbing up a tree, since I knew higher ground was safer ground, I kept watch on my supplies. While I didn't want a fight, I would have to take my chances if someone tried to take my supplies. I was just as dead without them as I was if a tribute killed me.

* * *

 **Sebastian Wright (D4M)**

It was time for the first hunt. All of us Careers knew it. I'm sure the other tributes did too, but that didn't really matter. They could run and hide, but we would find them. We could track them down. We had all the time in the world, and nothing to spend it on but killing every last one of them. I just hoped that I would get a chance to be in on the action. If they opted to have me stay back and guard the Cornucopia, I couldn't fight all of them on it. Even a leader can't risk that. Luckily, another one of us took care of that for me. "I'll stay back and guard the Cornucopia, so you guys can hunt," Minos offered.

Glacine shot him a weird look, since we all knew no true Career would offer to stay back. Ambrose didn't seem too interested in the hunt either, and he offered to stay back, since "more than one tribute might attack and we didn't want to take that risk." We weren't going to stop him, since we wanted glory anyways, but I kept my eye on them. We couldn't have cowardly Careers bringing down the Pack, or our reputations.

The Arena would be annoying to track people down in. The Cornucopia kept us pretty dry, despite the swampy biome we were in, and getting into the muddy water was unappealing for all of us. I took the plunge first, since I wanted to make it seem like a good idea, and Glacine followed me. _Small Career Pack this year,_ I thought to myself as I realized just how thinly spread we were. In a normal Games I would have had at least one more tribute with me. At least I had one less Career to fight.

Everywhere we tried to go, the water rippled in front of us, making our presence known. I heard a lot of things shuffling in front of us, and I hissed each time something moved. We had to find a way to hide, but it wouldn't be easy. I was a fighter, not a strategist. I wasn't sure if Glacine was smart enough to realize that we were scaring people away, or if she just thought they had lucky timing. She didn't seem like the brightest bulb.

"We could swim," Glacine broke the silence. "It'd be harder for us to see, but we would be hidden better."

I shook my head. "We would be just as easy to avoid if we couldn't see. Could we climb?" Climbing wasn't my strong suit, so it wasn't a plan I wanted, but it was better than everyone escaping from our clutches. Glacine nodded and we clambered into a tree. She climbed much faster than I did, but we both made our way up. From our high perch, we could see a lot farther, and it was harder for us to be seen. Nobody ever looked up. The hunt continued.

* * *

 **Minos Vella (D1M)**

Sebastian seemed a bit worried about my staying back during the hunt, but I hoped it was nothing too bad. For the moment I was valuable, since we didn't have many Careers left. I had to make sure I wasn't only valuable for that, so I worked with Ambrose and continued organizing everything. The Cornucopia was well-packed this year, so I still wasn't quite done. Everything had to be placed in a pile for easy access.

Ambrose came over to me and began organizing without being asked. "What's the best part of One?" he asked me while placing a bit of food in our food pile. "I like the forest in Two." He had a faraway look in his eyes, and he fished out his notebook from our pile of tokens and stared at it. It had a picture of his mom in it, and I didn't know why he seemed so sad about that. "I wish I could see it again."

His question came out of nowhere, and I had never really planned a response. It took me a while to finally decide and reply, "I like the mountains. I never got to touch them, but they looked so cool. I wish I could climb one and see the view." I ignored his final comment, since I didn't want to point out that that seemed like a moment of weakness.

Ambrose nodded. "I've seen a few in my lifetime, but I always liked the forest best. I like tis Arena, since it's so pretty," he admitted a bit bashfully. "I know we're killing each other and all, but this seems like a nice place to die." Then he turned away from me, taking a handful of stuff from our unorganized pile to place it all where it belonged. He misplaced a couple of things, but I didn't mind too much. I could fix them later.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a frog. It was a cute frog, so I decided to take a break from my tidying up in order to get a closer look. Ambrose looked at me like I was insane, but I just shrugged. I had already spent a lot of time on being useful; I deserved a break. Besides, it was an adorable frog, and I could certainly use it as a weapon if I had to. A frog being chucked at your face would be quite distracting.

The frog made quiet chirping noises and hopped away while I walked towards it, but I payed that no mind. It was just a frog. I caught it with ease, being a big trained bad guy and the frog being an animal of lesser intelligence. It chirped more loudly and squirmed in my grasp, and I carried it back to the Cornucopia. I set it down in my lap and petted it for a bit before returning to my sorting. I kept an eye on the animal while I sorted, but I let it hop around a bit. I wanted to see it, but it could have some freedom. The animal had more freedom than I did.

* * *

 **Eeek! Two hundred reviews. Thank you SO much for all of your comments!**


	50. Mustang Sally

**Glacine Rockridge (D1F)**

Sebastian was being surprisingly humble while we climbed our tree, and I decided to lighten up on hating him for the time being. I still didn't trust him, of course, but I wouldn't shove him out of the tree we were in. Judging by his expression while we hunted, he would've had a heart attack had I pushed him out. I almost considered going in the water and risking a couple of kills just to put him out of his misery, but he probably would have rejected me. He was prideful like that. He seemed to think we all were.

Honestly, I wanted to be in the Cornucopia eating bonbons. I didn't mind hunting at all; I found it interesting. I just didn't particularly want to be out there in danger of mutts and who knew what in the water. As long as we were in trees I figured we were mostly safe, since most mutts I knew about in marshes were aquatic or semi-aquatic, but being in the Cornucopia was definitely safer, and I wanted to spend some time making myself seem more valuable to the other Careers. Hunting would only help me with Sebastian.

Suddenly, a realization hit me. Sebastian was one of the strongest Careers for certain, and he seemed to be the one most likely to fight. All of us would fight if attacked, but he seemed like he would shamelessly sneak attack and go for the kill. If I could get him to like me, at least more than the other two Careers, I would be safe. I turned back to him and made sure he was watching me, hoping he didn't notice, and then slipped out of the tree. "Help!"

Sebastian reached out and caught one of my arms, pulling me back into the tree. I pulled myself closer to him. "You saved my life!" I exclaimed, pushing my body against his. "Thank you," I muttered, trying to seem as if I was in awe. I had no way of telling what kind of girl Sebastian liked, so I chose and angle and hoped for the best. He seemed somewhat interested, and I knew I should keep it up for the rest of the time. I wanted to slap him for his smug grin and how he seemed to think he was the best person in the world, but I kept a dumb grin up and a stare of admiration. Seeming dumb for the moment wasn't all that bad if it meant being safe for the moment.

I looked over at Sebastian and saw him staring intently at someone. I got ready to ask him what it was, and he shushed me quickly. He put his hand back and pushed me back, presumably for my safety. I blushed deliberately and looked at my feet. He grinned again and threw his spear at the other person. It wasn't his weapon of choice, but I thought it would do the job. A yelp from the other tree proved me right.

* * *

 **Mustang Colbolt (D6M)**

"Aw FRICK!" A spear came flying at me out of nowhere, and I knew we were doomed. I almost swore before I remembered that I was with Giselle. I regretted my scream, since it would certainly alert the attacker that I was not, in fact, dead. "Get out of here!" I whispered to Giselle, pushing her away. "Run!" She didn't seem to want to leave me, but I kept pushing at her. "Go!" I tried to make my tone seem as urgent as possible, though that didn't take much doing. We were obviously in grave danger.

Finally, she left. Two people came into our tree not long after, and I had to force myself not to stare in the direction which she had ran. I wanted to make sure she was safe, but doing that would only jeapordize her position. I stood up as straight as I could in my tree and grabbed the spear I assumed Sebastian had thrown. Glacine didn't seem like someone that used spears. I wielded my weapon as confidently as I could, glaring at the two Careers. "What do you want?"

Sebastian didn't miss a beat before trying to stab me with Glacine's weapon. She yelped as he grabbed it from her, but didn't protest, sticking to th background. I didn't mind that at all. While I didn't have much of a chance against Sebastian, my odds of survival were worse if I was up against two people. I dodged the spear the best I could, but it still snagged my side. I lashed out with my spear, unsure of what I was doing, but knowing that anything was better than nothing.

I was fighting a losing battle, which Sebastian obviously knew. I began to flee as I fought, knowing that they were far too distracted with me to bother following Giselle at that point. Glacing seemed to realize that and she stood behind me, seemingly thinking that she had blocked my exit. She hadn't. I leapt to the side, barely avoiding Sebastian's spear. He had a solution to that, and he quickly showed me it.

Sebastian leapt right with me, landing right beside me. Being trained, he gained his footing much more quickly than I did, and he stabbed me in the stomach. I glared at him as I stabbed him right back. I wasn't going to be able to kill him, but I could certainly leave a mark. He pulled away, acknowledging that I was dead where I stood. I was losing a lot of blood with each passing second, and my energy was fading. I just wished he was close enough that I could keep spearing him. Even if I was going to die, I could still slow him down.

* * *

 **Nebojsa Imanzi (D10M)**

The cannons were coming pretty quickly, and I hoped that made the Gamemakers happy. The Bloodbath had done me well, and I rarely went anywhere that seemed dangerous. I stayed up in the canopy of the trees and made sure nobody came near me. I never bothered going searching for food, and I only went for water when it was entirely necessary. The Gamemakers probably hardly put me on the screen, since I was likely considered entirely boring. I didn't mind that. This way of life was safe.

While I wanted to make a fort and hole up in it, I knew that staying in one place was dangerous. I couldn't risk anyone finding me, so I left long, winding paths everywhere I went. I would walk one way and made a trail as if I went three ways. It was horribly time-consuming and boring, but I had nothing better to do. I wasn't going to risk leaving my seemingly calm patch of trees, especially since the next forest was across from the Cornucopia. Making a ridiculously complicated path everywhere I went. There were probably traces of me on every other tree in my little group of trees.

My water bottle was running low, so I decided I had to refill. I didn't like going so close to the water, since there was no hope of seeing what was in it, but I had to when I had to. A bottle of water only lasted so long, and facing an enemy while dehdrated was just as dangerous as fighting a mutt at full health. I slowly made my way down my tree, watching my step and avoiding all of the weird plants. I had no proof that the plants would kill me, but I didn't have proof that they wouldn't, so I didn't trust them. I'd rather just avoid all of that.

Something glinted slightly in the water, and I pulled back, ready to flee up my tree. A fish darted past me, and I went over to the water again. I kept my body as far from the water as I could manage and thrust the bottle into the water, squeezing it slightly so it would fill up faster. When I felt teeth dig into my arm I dropped the bottle and tried to pull away, but my efforts proved to be in vain. I grabbed a knife from the belt I always carried it in and got ready to stab the beast.

The beast proved to be some sort of weird crocodile thing. It obviously wasn't entirely crocodile, since its skin wasn't bumpy and it didn't have very big teeth. The small teeth wouldn't be a problem if the thing was intent on eating me, though. It looked nasty. I pulled my arm away from it as hard as I could, and it tried to readjust its grip. I took that as my moment, pulling my arm away and stabbing its head.

It wasn't going to have any of that. It bit my hand before I could completely pull it away, and I winced as I felt the teeth puncture my skin. I almost wished the teeth were sharper so they hurt less. The animal started backing into the water with my hands still in its mouth, and I almost gave up, assuming I was doomed. However, I was far too spiteful to let that happen, and I stabbed the monster again and again.

The crocodile thing dragged me halfway into the water before I finally forced it to let go of my hand. I had been stabbing it for what must have been hours, since the sun had gone a good distance across the sky. I hoped the thing was dead, since I couldn't risk getting water until it was. It didn't move as I pulled myself back into my tree, but I didn't trust that. I glared at it from my perch, and I could have sworn it glared right back at me.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (D7M)**

The sickness I had wasn't getting any better. I still couldn't drink anything without it almost immediately coming out one way or another. If anybody found me I would certainly die, and I couldn't hope to stay hidden forever. Another cannon had finally come, and I wasn't optomistic enough to hope that it was another sundew. The Careers were probably wreaking havoc, and I could only be so far away from them.

Death was slowly coming for me and I could tell. Even if no tributes found me, I was going to die of dehydration. My tongue was dry and my eyes were sore. I had a terrible headache and I couldn't keep my bearings. I wanted to hide in a tree, but I was certain I would fall out of it. When I saw a parachute floating towards me, I wrote it off as a hallucination until it was actually in my hands.

The parachute was a pot of gold. It had cream in it, which I assumed was a way to clean my leg. I rubbed it on excitedly and it stung like nothing else I had ever felt, but I knew that just meant it was working. There was also a wonderful bandage. A bandage not seem so great, but it would finally stem the bleeding and hopefully stop me from getting infected again. I whooped with joy when I pulled it out before I could remember that that was a terrible idea.

My sponsor gift also included antibiotics. At least, I assumed the weird white piles someone sent me were antibiotics. There was a bottle full of them and no instructions, so I had no idea what to do. Could a cholera medicine overdose kill you? I took two out of the bottle and swallowed them dry. Two should be enough for Capitol medicine, but if such a small amount was an overdose, I would've been sent instructions. At least, I hoped that I would have been sent instructions.

I gasped as I noticed what else I had been sent. A bottle full of glorious water was sitting in the parachute. I chugged half of it before I came to my senses and realized that I probably still wasn't cured. It stayed down for the moment, and I hoped that Capitol medicine worked as fast as I assumed it did. There was some iodine in the parachute too, so my water would last a while. "Thank you!" I yelled to the heavens as I scooted closer to my tree. I was in a lot better shape now, but I still wasn't climbing that tree. I didn't want to die.

* * *

 **16th Place: Mustang Colbolt- Speared by Sebastian**

 **Mustang was a great tribute. I loved writing him, since he ended up being a lot like someone I know and look up to. His personality was great for me, even though some people thought it was creepy. His form didn't have a preferred death on it, but I thought stalling the Careers from attacking his ally would be the perfect way for him to go. Thank you Jayman for Mustang, who I loved writing.**

 **By the way, all y'all should go check out snowstar2's SYOT, Salty Tears. I have a tribute that I want to be written, so submit so she can write.**


	51. Think Ahead

**I INTERRUPT THIS STORY! The stylist I made was Ronda Nona. Anybody who guessed that gets two sponsor points. I forgot to say that until now, so here it is.**

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

When Sebastian and Glacine finally came back from their hunt, Minos and I could finally figure out what took them so long. Sebastian was practically carrying Glacine, but I couldn't understand why. Sebastian was the one that was injured, not Glacine. I ushered Sebastian over to the medicine pile while Minos checked Glacine over. We couldn't have any of us getting sick, after all. "What happened?"

"We found Mustang. RIP jerk," he spat at me. I assumed he was calling Mustang a jerk and not me, and he went into detail. "I threw my spear at him. He stabbed me with it. I killed him. Just patch me up!" He seemed frustrated, and understandably so. An outer District kid had managed to hurt him.

"All right, all right," I replied, trying to look reassuring. I had no idea what I was doing with all of the medicine we had. It didn't come with instructions, so all I could do was apply it and hope for the best. I was happy it had labels, since I probably would've killed Sebastian otherwise. I put on some disinfectant and tried to find something that would help it heal faster. "Minos, where are the healing creams?" I yelled across the Cornucopia.

"They're at the bottom of the pile!" he replied without looking up from his work. I dug into our pile and found the creams I was looking for. _Which one to use?_ There were two bottles of cream, and while they looked different, their titles were the same. I didn't know what ingredients did what, so I just picked one and put it on Sebastian. He didn't instantly die, so I didn't fail horribly. I wrapped some bandages around the wound and stepped back, seeing it he was fine.

"Thanks," he muttered at me before going off towards Glacine. She sat beside him and they started to talk. He leaned towards her and she leaned towards him until they were touching. Minos and I exchanged knowing glances and turned to leave them be. Minos grabbed a spear and kept watch while I turned to my drawing of my mom.

My mom got me into this mess, and while I could resent her for it, I didn't. I hadn't gotten the worst of the Games yet, but I thought I might be able to last through them. It was a stupid thing to think, since all of the Careers thought that way, but some of them were right. I could only hope that my mom was right about me. While I didn't hate her, I wished I hadn't brought a picture of her into the Arena. My notebook, once full of drawings, had been reduced to one page when I brought it in. I got to choose a picture. I chose my mother, but I would've done anything to have been able to see the forest again. I was in a swamp, but it wasn't nearly the same. My forest was gorgeous. These tree patches were just... there.

After a while, I realized that I could do something to see the forest again. While I always made myself think that I could make it, the back of my mind always said otherwise. I didn't have to give up hope. It was clear that Sebastian and Glacine were planning something, and I went over to Minos. "Hey. What do you think they're talking about?"

"I don't know. They're probably thinking about how it has to be one of their final chances at some things and they may as well do them."

I shook my head. "There's no way Sebastian would get that distracted from being Victor. Glacine, maybe, but not Sebastian. They're planning."

Minos shushed me but nodded. "Yeah. We should plan too," he whispered. "When the break-up happens, which I hope is a long ways away, I was thinking that we could stay together. I don't want to team up with those two. I think you and I could work well together. That's what you wanted to ask about, right?"

"Yeah. Don't ever let it slip to Sebastian, though. He'd kill you in a heartbeat if he thought you weren't loyal," I replied, a bit worried. It was pretty early to be planning for the split, but we had to do it sometime. The earlier we started, the more time we had to perfect our plan. I looked up to see that Sebastian was still only concerned with Glacine and himself, and sat down. "Do you still have your frog?"

Minos nodded and pointed out his frog. "What did you think I was guarding?" I just laughed and shook my head. He offered me his frog and I politely declined. He could keep that. I was just happy to have a better ally.

* * *

 **Smudge Kells (D12F)**

Leading wasn't all that hard. Dove seemed to think it was this extremely difficult thing that would result in death if you took one wrong step. While I didn't think leading was too easy, since it was dangerous, it wasn't much. If I slipped I could just catch myself. I almost died when I went past a bunch of the weird curling plants, but I managed to catch myself on the tree branches. Dove seemed awed that I didn't fall, but I did. I just grabbed onto a branch before I slipped very far.

Dove seemed worried, but that was nothing new. Everyone was worried in the Games. I stopped for a second and grabbed our bag, rummaging through it. We were running low on food. We needed some more. Dove kept catching fish and throwing them away, and I couldn't understand why we didn't just eat the fish. All the same, I accepted her wisdom and stuck to just gathering berries. When I stopped Dove stopped too, and both of us separated for a bit to gather berries.

I didn't like being away from Dove. It seemed like inviting danger. That being said, I wanted to gather things as quickly as possible. I was always extremely tense whenever I reached down to grab something. If a branch cracked I might fall straight out of my tree. There was noise everywhere in the swamp, but I could still tell when something was different. Dove could probably do it better, but I could do it well enough.

Something snapped behind me and I jumped slightly. Slightly happened to be just enough that I slipped off of my branch. Being near the water wasn't exactly my cup of tea, so I skittered as close to the tree trunk as possible. I couldn't see anything above me, but I wasn't going to take any chances, so I made my way to a different tree.

Watching the sky while making your way through a dangerous swamp turned out to be a terrible idea when I ran into a patch of plants. I stopped dead in my tracks as my hand barely skimmed one. It began to curl around me and I started screaming. "Dove! Dove help!"

There was no guarantee that Dove would hear me, but I always worked fast. She couldn't have gotten far. "Dove! Help me!" I kept screaming as the plant began to tighten. I took in a large breath, knowing it could well be my last. "DOVE!"

More branches rustled above me, but I couldn't tell what they were. I was gasping in air; the plant was tightening far faster than I remembered. Someone dropped down beside me, and while I could tell it was a girl, I couldn't tell who. My vision was getting fuzzy. I heard them stabbing the plant, but they quickly gave up. They grabbed my arms and pulled.

It felt like I was being torn apart. The plant had a good grip on me, but whoever was pulling did too. While the plant couldn't pull me away, it could keep me in place. However, the person was gaining distance. I could finally breathe again, and as I regained my energy I began to squirm. I couldn't do very much, being stuck in a plant, but my wiggling made the plant loosen up until I was finally out of its grip.

Now that I wasn't dying I could see who had saved me. "Dove!" I whispered as I got up. I could breathe, but I wasn't going to waste any breath on talking. She was crying and I realized that I was crying too. We climbed back into a tree and sat down, catching our breath. "Thank you."

Dove just nodded. She was still crying a little bit, and I crawled over to her, carefully holding myself tightly in the tree. "Why you cry?" It made sense to begin crying, but it had been a while. I didn't know why she hadn't calmed down.

"I thought I was going to lose you, too," she replied, trying to be calm. "I'll lose you sometime, but not yet. Not yet," she continued, now almost in a whisper. She went over to me and hugged me. I hugged her back, happy to be close to her again. My torso hurt when she grabbed it, but I didn't mind. I was just happy we were safe.

* * *

 **Giselle Parkfields (D7F)**

As much as I hated abandoning Mustang, I knew I had to. There was no way he would let me stay. I figured if I tried to stay he would shove me out of the tree if necessary. I also knew that I couldn't take a Career. There was no guarantee that our attackers were Careers, but I couldn't think of anyone else who would throw a spear and then follow us. Most people thought they were too weak to fight someone, especially an alliance.

When the cannon fired, it became certain that we weren't an alliance any more. I hadn't seen Mustang die, but I couldn't hope that he had won. I heard the fight go on behind me. Mustang knew he was losing. I felt like I was going to cry and I wasn't certain why. I knew he had to die if I was to live. We weren't even that close. All the same, I was going to miss him. I was all alone in the Arena, and I'd had to survive like that. With the Careers on the hunt, that wasn't appealing.

My first plan for the Games had worked wonderfully until a point. I had holed up with Mustang and we were doing all fine and dandy until someone showed up and killed him. Now I had to think of something entirely new, and I wasn't looking forward to it. Making plans was actually pretty fun, but I didn't want to have to worry about something right then. I just wanted to relax for a while.

After I decided I was far enough away from the fight, I accepted my fate and began to work on my plan. I obviously still needed a shelter, so I got straight to work on making a one as well as I could. There were endless supplies in the Arena, so it didn't take too long. If I stayed in a tree I just had to make myself well-hidden.

While I worked on hiding my shelter, I realized that I could do something entirely different. Although I didn't know to make very many good traps, I knew what the traps looked like. With all of the branches around me, some of them could easily be replicated. I could just make it look like I was extremely dangerous to be around and hope everyone avoided me. I couldn't hide myself perfectly against the branches, so I might as well go for something that protected me in a different way.

I knew I was giving myself a lot of stuff to do to take my mind off of Mustang. I just didn't care. As long as I was working I could keep my mind on one track. That meant keeping my mind off of the fact that I was keeping my mind off of a fact. My shelter had to be perfect. While I wasn't a perfectionist, perfecting a shelter meant more time spent working. I could mourn later. Right then, I had to work.


	52. Watt's Up?

**Nebojsa Imanzi (D10M)**

The wounds the crocodile gave me were terribly sore. I bandaged them up to make sure that nothing could get in, but that meant they were constantly touched by fabric. Even the soft clothing my stylists provided irritated my sores and made me grimace whenever I shifted, which wasn't much. My neck was terribly stiff and I could hardly swallow, which I didn't need to do much anyways. I could see the crocodile waiting for me at the base of my tree, and I wasn't going to risk getting water until I had to. I needed to make that wait as long as possible, and I was going to stay put until the Gamemakers made me move.

When I saw a parachute coming for me, I nearly fell out of my tree from the surprise of it. At first I expected an attacker, but once I learned it was something good, I didn't know what to think. I certainly didn't expect anyone to think that I had a chance, but obviously someone did. The box didn't have much in it, but what was there was priceless. I had been sent a bottle of antiseptic cream, and I happily applied it to my injuries. It stung almost as badly as the original attack had, but I didn't mind too much. I knew I was safer because of that.

Once I had been cleaned up I decided to take a chance and try and get some water. I wasn't going to do anything too bold, since I was still in a terrible condition, but I was going to try to scope out an opportunity. Maybe if I went far enough the mutt would decide to leave me alone and find different prey. I wasn't going to hope for anything like that, but it was worth a try. I didn't have to stay still now that my wound couldn't get infected.

The mutt quickly revealed that it had no intentions of leaving me alone. I couldn't make my way from tree to tree nearly as quickly or easily as it could follow me on the ground. I considered throwing something at it, but nothing I had could be wasted. I needed all of my supplies if I was to have any chance at all. The only thing I could risk losing was my parachute, and I didn't think that would do much damage.

I was in a tree. I was surrounded by weapons. I tore a branch off of the tree and began to sharpen it. The crocodile seemed to have an idea of what I was doing. It didn't seem to care. It just sat there and watched me as I began my work. I knew my work would take me the rest of the day, and even then I might not throw my weapon at the mutt. I might have to make another one before I could take the risk. Until then, water could wait. People can go a bit without water. There was no guarantee that the crocodile wasn't going to get smarter.

* * *

 **Norah Mendell (D3F)**

When I realized that I might kill again, the thought struck me hard. When I realized I would have to if I wanted to live, I was hit even harder. However, nothing could possibly change me more than when I realized that I could handle it. Of course, it wasn't a good situation. As a matter of fact, I still hated it. However, I accepted that I had to deal with it. I knew that I could. That acceptance made me wonder about whether I deserved to live, but I would focus on that once I won the Games. Until then, I had much bigger problems on my hands.

Somebody sent me a battery and a wire. I had to decide exactly what to do with that. A variety of ideas ran through my head, but none of them seemed that great. Making a shock weapon would be optimal, but there was no real way to do that with such scarce supplies. I had to think of something entirely different, which could take me a while.

All I knew I could do with my gift for sure was get a spark. At first, that seemed like nothing to me. However, I slowly realized that I could build off of that. A spark could mean a fire. While a fire might seem like a bad idea, it could be useful. There were places where I could avoid fire. A fire would probably attract people to me, but that didn't matter if I left the area. All I had to do was find the right place to set it.

I knew what I was doing as soon as I got up. As much as I tried to force the thought out of my mind, I was going hunting. I used more dumb logic like I had after killing Faris. I reassured myself that I just wanted to get home, that they would kill me if I didn't kill them. I didn't allow myself to linger on the fact that they wanted to get home, too, as I began to gather supplies.

Making a fire would be no simple task. While I wasn't sure exactly how to do it, I had seen it in the Games before. With any luck, the spark from my battery would turn my quest into a simple task, but I wasn't going to expect that. I had to take the most assured route. I knew from my little exposure to fire making that you needed a lot of fluff and sticks. Finding those were no hard task and I got it done quickly. Making the fire _on_ the fluff and sticks was the hard part.

Setting down my pile of stuff, I made myself a spot where my supplies would remain dry but I could be in the water. I had to hope that nothing was waiting there to kill me, and since I didn't die right then, it's safe to assume that my hopes came true. After I had my little spot, I started sparking the battery. I didn't know how long it would take for the pile to start on fire or how many sparks it would take, but I knew that I had time to wait.

The first couple sparks didn't work at all. One of them missed the pile completely and the rest fizzled out harmlessly. After a while, I managed to get one to catch. It started a tiny little flame that I had to help stay alive, but it was a fire. I slowly kept working on building it up and then I grabbed a big stick I had. I grabbed a couple pieces off dead wood, lit my stick on fire, and carefully made my way through the forest. I couldn't have the my torch accidentally setting the wrong tree on fire, after all. While this could kill my opponents, if I wasn't careful it would kill me, too.

The other tributes were more sparsely scattered than I expected. It took me a long time until I found a tribute, and even then I knew I couldn't attack them. While they would easily be killed, the rest of the forest would catch on fire as well. I had to carry on until I finally managed to find another tribute. The tribute I finally found was in a tree which was nearly alone, and he was high up in it. That made him the perfect target. I could tell he was still making his way into the tree, which made things better. Hopefully he wouldn't notice me until things were too late.

While there was no guarantee that the tree could be set on fire, the odds were in my favor. Most wood could easily be set ablaze according to what I had learned. I stalked over to the tree and put my torch near it. The wood refused to light and I took another angle. I took my pieces of dead wood out and placed them around the tree's trunk. I then set that wood on fire. It caught quickly and I began to build the fire up. It would take a while, but that didn't matter. The tribute was treed. I had all the time in the world.

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt (D5M)**

There was a girl beneath my tree. I couldn't tell which one she was, but I didn't really care. She had a torch, and I could tell what she planned on doing with it. I just couldn't let her. Making spur-of-the-moment choices wasn't my strong suit, but I had to do what I had to do. When my tree proved unable to be set on fire, I was allowed a slight reprieve, but I knew I wouldn't have much time. True to my expectations, the girl quickly found another solution.

When the girl started piling dead wood around my tree's trunk, I knew that I was in trouble. Dead wood would certainly set on fire, and quickly. The problem was, I didn't know how to get out of my tree. If I jumped she would certainly begin to club me. Staying up was death, and there were no trees near me. Whoever this person was, she clearly knew what she was doing.

Once the fire was already likely past the point where I could save myself, the idea struck me. The girl was still lurking, apparently unaware that the fire was plenty large for her to leave. I pulled out my makeshift spead and began to aim. The thought of killing her made me sick, but I knew it was life or death. I could handle my morals later.

My spear-throwing skills had weakened since my time during training, but not by much. While I didn't hit the girl, I let her know that I was armed and not afraid to fight. I expected that to scare her away. It didn't. She simply began working faster on burning my tree up. I could see the effects of that everywhere. I could barely breath there was so much smoke coming up to me, and the heat was getting to be something awful.

I knew I had to try something, so I threw my spear again. That time, she dodged. It wasn't a clear dodge like a Career could achieve, but it was good enough that she remained uninjured, and that was all she needed. I finally accepted the hopelessness of my situation and decided death by torch was no worse than death by fire. I jumped from my tree.

As I said earlier, making quick decisions wasn't my strong suit. While I had been worried about getting the girl away from me, I hadn't thought much about what to do with the actual fire. Sure, my jump got me out of the tree, but I landed in the fire. The water slowed me down so much that by the time I moved away my shirt and hair was on fire, and the burns were everywhere. I knew I was dead before my heart stopped beating. Some things there was no getting away from.

* * *

 **15th Place: Isaac Wyatt- Fire set by Norah**

 **Isaac was an interesting tribute. His form didn't give me much of a personality, which meant I had to fill a lot in. I don't mind that too much, but I never really felt his character. Sometimes I laughed at him, but I couldn't really get a feel for him. I didn't think he would make a good Victor, so I decided that now was the time to kill him. He was a planner, but there wasn't much he could do against something so out of the blue. Thank you Nightcat for Isaac, who was a cool character that was fun to write.**


	53. Suspicions Arise

**Glacine "Grace" Rockridge (D1F)**

Sebastian was getting antsy for the next hunt. As tired as I was of the Games, and as much as I wanted him to get rid of some competition, I couldn't let him go out. His wounds could still easily be re-opened and I couldn't have him dying on me. However, keeping a determined Career from going on the hunt is easier said than done. None of my previous approaches had convinced him, even when I warned him about possible death. In hindsight that was a terrible idea, since it probably came off as a challenge.

Finally, I said, "Come on. Can't we have some more fun, just one more night? I couldn't stand to have my hottie leave me." I had to force the words terribly, since Sebastian certainly wasn't hot. _Just a little bit longer,_ I reminded myself. I wrapped myself around him while I asked, whispering in his ear. He glared at me, but he sat down. I knew he wasn't happy with me. "Ambros and Minos can hold up the fort. There are no cameras in the Cornucopia."

That really seemed to get his attention. He went into the Cornucopia with me, and I made sure we avoided all of the piles of supplies. Minos and Ambrose stared at us for a while before turning away. "I guess we should leave them be," I heard one of them whisper to the other. As if they couldn't both easily figure it out.

As much fun as certain things could be, I had no intentions of doing very much with Sebastian. For one thing, he wasn't exactly someone I should risk getting serious with. For another, I had to keep him wanting me. As soon as I showed him everything I had, I would be boring, and he could get rid of me. I had to carefully figure out exactly what I had to do to make him like me but not get bored of me.

When Sebastian sat down, I sat down next to him, almost on top of him. We didn't have much room to do anything in our fort, and I didn't mind that. That gave me an excuse to not want to do anything rough. He stared at me, apparently waiting for me to make my move, and I did. I leaned over to him and kissed him on the cheek, which didn't result in much. He pulled me in closer and we kissed, our situation quickly turning into a full-blown makeout session. It could have lasted who knows how long if we hadn't heard the ping of a parachute.

Surprised, I pulled out a note, letting Sebastian see what we had been sent. **_No cameras in the Cornucopia?_** was written in fine handwriting. Sebastian gave me the parachute and shrugged. All that was in it was a couple of pillows. While I didn't mind having them around, it was nothing much at all. I set one down and layed back on it, offering Sebastian a place beside me. He leaned down next to me, having to curl his legs up in our tight confines. He played with my hair and sweet-talked me, while I wished I had been sent some soap. _Your hands are gross, Sebastian._

* * *

 **Minos Vella**

Glacine and Sebastian were doing who knows what in the Cornucopia, leaving me and Ambrose to lurk outside. We were supposed to be holding down the fort, but nobody was going to attack the Cornucopia, especially when there were still four of us left. Instead, we decided we may as well just goof off until the next hunt. We both knew there would be no getting out of the next hunt, but we didn't worry. Most of the tributes that were left weren't threats. "Wanna help me name my frog?"

Ambrose turned to me in surprise at that question. "You want me to name your frog? Don't we have supplies to organize or something?"

"Nope. I finished that yesterday. We have nothing better to do at all, since if we go hunting Sebastian will probably kill us." I didn't specify whether Sebastian would hate us because we went hunting without him or because we left, but we both knew that as soon as we left the Cornucopia without Sebastian or Glacine asking us to we were gone for good. Even if Sebastian wasn't smart enough to notice that we had an alliance, Glacine was.

Ambrose was looking away thoughtfully while I thought about all of those things. "We could name the frog Reginald," he finally said.

"Why Reginald?" The question came off more accusingly than I hoped, and I re-phrased my comment. "I don't mind the name Reginald, it's just really random."

"I don't know why we'd name him Reginald. I just think it's a cool name. We could name him Oswald."

"Oswald is a cool name," I replied. I didn't know why, but the name Oswald _was_ pretty neat. Nobody in One was named Oswald. "Where do you come up with these names?"

"Nowhere, really. Oswald just seemed like a nice name. Wait, I have a better idea. Let's name him Herman." Ambrose said that with such excitement that I couldn't turn him down. However, I was curious about why Herman was such a great name.

"I'm fine with naming him Herman, but why?" Herman didn't seem like that much better of a name than Oswald.

"My grandpa used to joke around and always say 'Heman' instead of 'ribbit.' I never knew why, since he never seemed interested in telling me. I asked him once but he didn't explain. He just said 'Herrrrmannnn' and walked away. Grandpa was weird."

I just shrugged. "Good enough for me. Do you know where Herman went?" I knew he couldn't have gotten very far from where we were, but I couldn't see him. Herman was a very valuable member of the Career pack, so I couldn't let him go missing. Ambrose noticed him before I did and pointed him out to me. He didn't bother trying to catch the frog, and I assumed he didn't think he could. I walked over to Herman and picked him up, carrying him over to the mouth of the Cornucopia. "You can't leave us! You're a Career," I whispered to him before setting him down.

"Do you hear that?" Ambrose whispered to me, dragging my concentration away from Herman.

"Hear what?" I asked before I heard the noise of a parachute tinkling down. It was coming from in the Cornucopia, and I was curious about how they managed to make a parachute in the Cornucopia, but I wasn't going to talk physics with the Gamemakers. "I wonder what they got." They could have gotten anything, and they weren't showing it to us.

I nodded at Ambrose and we peeked inside the Cornucopia. It was hard to see anything over the piles of stuff, but he noticed Glacine and Sebastian lying on something. We were both on our guards in case they had been sponsored weapons, but they got something entirely different. I laughed and moved away from the shelter. "Oh no! They've been sponsored murderous pillows!" I shouted out. Ambrose began to chuckle and we slowly calmed down. We weren't dead yet.

* * *

 **Simmons Hall (D5F)**

Kia, Magpie and I didn't much know what to do with our time. We had to make sure we were safe, but nobody ever came after us. After a while we did our nails again, but we didn't want to use up all of our nail polish. We didn't need any more food, and with our iodine tablets water wasn't hard to find. After a couple of hours I broke the silence. "Wanna play would you rather?"

Magpie and Kia sat up. "Sure," Kia replied chipperly. "You go first."

"Hm..." While some people couldn't answer would you rathers, I found it way harder to make them. "Would you rather go bald or lose your eyebrows?"

Magpie spoke up before Kia had time to reply. "I guess go bald, since eyebrows are important. And they don't always grow back." I didn't know where she got her information, but I wasn't going to question it. This was a game. It didn't have to be logical.

"My turn!" Kia exclaimed. "Woud you rather lose a tooth a day or a finger a week?"

"I guess a tooth? Fingers are really important," I slowly replied. Were teeth or fingers more important? "Would your teeth grow back?" Kia shook her head. "I'd still have to say teeth."

Magpie asked our next question and the order was set in stone. "Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?"

It took me less than a second to consider that one. "Fly! That would be way more fun. Would you rather only eat chocolate for the rest of your life or only eat broccoli?"

Kia thought for a while before finally deciding. "I'd have to say broccoli. It isn't as good as chocolate, but I don't want my teeth to fall out. Would you rather only eat mushrooms or only eat peppers?"

Magpie grimaced before replying, "Mushrooms. I hate them both, but peppers hurt more than mushrooms. Would you rather live outside Panem with your family or in your District without them?"

That one took me a while to answer. "Outside with my family. If I can survive in here, I can survive anywhere." Living outside of Panem would be awful, but I couldn't imagine living without my mom. She kept me sane. "Is anyone hungry?"

Both Kia and Magpie nodded, and I pulled a can of soup out of our pile of food. We didn't have a fire to cook it over, but we didn't mind. Soup tasted fine cold. It said something about being exotic and different, but I didn't care if it was caviar or frog as long as it filled me up. "Bon Appétit!"

Kia dug right in while Magpie waited patiently behind her. Magpie took one bite of her food and we could tell that something was wrong. She looked a bit worried, but none of us could tell what was happening. She began to redden up and Kia began to freak out. "Oh crud what do we do?"

Magpie was gasping for breath. Kia stood back and freaked out and I tried to help Magpie. I didn't know what to do any more than Kia did, but I still wanted to be useful. Magpie was crying and in an instant I was crying, too. I noticed Kia begin to cry, and knew all of us would be crying for hours, even if Magpie lived. I held her hand and watched as she began to fade. I was sobbing up a storm, but I didn't let go. I didn't let go until her cannon fired and I needed to let the hovercraft pick her up.

* * *

 **14th Place: Magpie Orchard- Allergic reaction to squirrel meat**

 **Magpie was a great character. She was cheerful throughout the story and she was fun to write. She would have had a chance at being Victor if I based things solely off of personality. However, Kia, Simmons and she were getting off pretty lightly, and I had to have something bad happen. This is exactly the death that snowstar requested, and I figured it worked the best since these kids were too smart to leave their tree. Thank you to Snowstar2 for Magpie, who was a pleasure to write and hopefully to read.**

 **By the way, you can rest assured that other sponsor gifts will not end badly unless specified to do so. Magpie would probably die anyways and I thought this way made sense.**


	54. To Kill a Mockingbird

**Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

The first frog I ate was disgusting. It had an awful texture and the taste was odd and foul. I paid that no mind. Hunger was beginning its attack, and I couldn't allow it to continue. I was drying frogs as fast as I could catch them to eat them. I only allowed myself a little bit at a time, and I tried to pretend they were something else. Being hungry gave one quite the imagination.

Gross frogs and all, I was pretty happy with my situation in the Games. Water was constantly in supply due to the sun filter. While there was no guarantee that my water was perfect, I wasn't dying yet. I was certainly keeping the greater portion of my water in, and the little that left left the way it was supposed to. I always had to hope that more exciting things were going on when that happened.

Having a safe situation in the Games was nearly as dangerous as having a bad situation, which I learned when things started splashing beneath my tree. They didn't seem to be able to climb, so I gathered my stuff and sat in my tree. However, I couldn't stay treed forever. I knew I would have to get down sometime, and I had to be ready. I didn't mind mutts attacking me too much. As long as I was in my tree, I could attack and they couldn't. With any luck, I would get some extra meat without too much danger to myself.

When there didn't seem to be many of the animals around, I threw my knife at one of them. Most of them scattered, making me feel safe to look at what I had daggered. I saw a weird giant rat thing, and it didn't seem to be happy. _Oh shoot I didn't kill it._ The thing probably wasn't big enough to kill me, but it had long teeth that I didn't want to be near. The animal didn't seem to want to let me get away.

It lunged at me, and I hopped out of the way. My retreat was sloppy and it snagged my leg, but I tried not to worry about that. I grabbed my knife from where it was in the creature, hoping to hurt the thing again and to let the blood flow more freely. It quickly became clear to me that the animal was intelligent when it tried to apply pressure to the wound I caused. Knowing I couldn't let that happen, I stabbed at its head as soon as its teeth seemed to be out of range.

They weren't. They sank into my wrist and I squeaked with pain. However, as long as the animal was holding onto my arm, it couldn't pull away. I stabbed my knife in its head as hard as I could, and its grip lessened until it fell away. Shamelessly, I took the corpse into my tree and got ready to dry it. It weighed a lot, and I wasn't going to let all that meat get away.

I had to do something while I tried to roast my meat, and I realized that just roasting my meat was a terrible idea. I began to skin the animal, nearly retching at the scent, but grateful as some real meat. I made thin strips of meat and hoped that they would end up something like jerky. Then I hung the pelt up on my tree, hoping the other mutts would leave me alone.

 _Well what do I do about my hand?_ My hand was terribly injured and I was losing a lot of blood. I made myself another basic poultice, hoping that it wasn't completely worthless. I didn't have all of the right berries, but it was better than nothing. I tore off my shirt's sleeves and made them into a basic bandage. _Better not get hurt again..._

* * *

 **Nebojsa Imanzi (D10M)**

Water was quickly becoming my priority as the Games went on. The dang mutt was still eyeing me constantly, and I hardly slept for fear it could climb trees. However, even without the mutt water would've been difficult for me to get. I could barely manage to swallow the little water I had left. I was in a fever and I knew I needed to get a lot of water into my system, but it was nearly impossible.

My subconscious wanted me to focus on something else, something better. If nothing else, my heart wanted me to at least focus on gettig food. I couldn't afford that. My brain was screaming at me to get some water in me, and my throat agreed. It was terribly sore, and I wanted to just do something to soothe it. I put my bottle to my mouth and tried to drink, trying yet another angle at getting the water down my throat. I couldn't swallow, so I tried to let gravity work- with my assistance, of course. I tilted my head back and my stupid instincts made me try to swallow, blocking most of the water. A little went into me, and I smiled. At least I wasn't completely empty.

Suddenly, the mutt moved from where it usually stayed. I went down a bit closer to the water, careful not to allow myself to get very close. It didn't lunge at me, so I bent a little bit closer to the water. I kept slowly making my way down until I was nearly out of my tree. I swooped down and filled my bottle before clambering back into my tree. I didn't know why the mutt left, but I didn't care. Now I had more water to experiment with.

After I had gotten my water the mutt resurfaced, and I assumed the Gamemakers were just getting bored of me being treed all the time. I remembered my makeshift spear at threw it at the crocodile. It ducked into the water, and I glared at it. As it was trying to resurface again I threw another spear at it, which it easily avoided. My pile of weapons wasn't very big, and it was diminishing with alarming quickness as I threw my items at the mutt.

Determined not to lose another weapon, but also determined to kill the mutt, I picked up one of my spears and bent close to the water. The mutt ducked into the water, but I didn't care. If I was just stabbing the mutt could be in the water. I stabbed at where the mutt was and didn't see any blood. What I did see was the mutt holding on to my spear. I pulled my spear out of the water as far as I could manage, smiling when the mutt held on. I tried to stab the mutt and it let go.

 _Well played, Gamemakers._ I wasn't allowed to stay treed all the time, but I also couldn't defeat the mutt. Yet. While I planned my next attack, I knew I would be giving the Capitol exactly what they wanted: one heck of a show. The crocodile wouldn't be easy to defeat, but neither would I. _May the odds be ever in your favor._

* * *

Carver Redwood (D7M)

Ten cannons had gone off. I was almost halfway home. I wanted things to be over with already, and I was sure the Gamemakers wouldn't mind if I sped things up. My wounds had nearly fully healed, and I wasn't sick anymore. Right then was the prime time for me to go on an attack, and I was going to use that.

There was no way for me to tell who was near me. There was no way for me to tell if I was approaching anyone or if I had missed someone entirely. All I could do was hope I saw someone that I could take down. Unless they were in the Pack, I figured I could probably take them. A lot of strong competitors had fallen, and Nebojsa was in the other forest. He was the only person I knew off the top of my head I wouldn't be confident around.

My slow trek through the marsh revealed another person I wouldn't be sure I could defeat. Dove was gathering supplies with her back to me. She didn't appear to be armed, and I knew that that would be my best chance at defeating a strong opponent. While I could get injured, I seriously doubted that she would risk staying around long enough to kill me. She appeared to be alone, so I figured she would opt for flight if I gave her the chance, not fight.

Sneaking up to her would the best possible approach. A sneak attack, while a low blow, was always the best option. However, sneaking in a marsh is much easier said than done. It was all I could do not to splash the water all over the place. I just hoped the noises I made would be dismissed as natural noises and not a human trying to kill her. They were at first, but I must've been persistent enough that she finally turned and saw me.

It turned out, my predictions were right. Dove tried to leave, but she couldn't run in the water. Neither could I, but I found it easier to make headway in the water than she did. I was onto her in seconds, but she seemed prepared for that. She was a Career, and I knew her training was about to show through. Neither of us had weapons, and I prayed that she hadn't had much hand-to-hand training. I hadn't had much training in fistfights, but I hoped brute strength would overpower a bit of training.

Seeing as Dove was looking around for a weapon with fear glistening in her eyes, I guessed I was right. I grabbed her arm and whirled her towards me, punching her in the face. I didn't know whether or not it would do much damage, but it could probably break her nose and hurt a lot. She took a step backwards and got into a proper stance. _Oh shoot._

Getting into a proper stance was as far as I could allow her to go. I swung at her stomach, and while I missed, I made her hop backwards. She was off-balance for just a second, and I tackled her. It was a risky move, but it payed off. I got her beneath me and didn't know what to do. Killing someone in hand-to-hand was really hard. I punched her in the throat, hoping to break her windpipe. It didn't crack, so I punched it again. She began gasping for breath, and I got a better idea.

I couldn't break her windpipe by punching it, or at the very least it would take me so long she might be able to start recovering her senses. However, punching was not the only option someone had. I stood up and stomped her windpipe as hard as I could. Then I heard it crunch and I knew she was through. I retreated from her body so the hovercraft picked her up and hoped she didn't have any dangerous allies. Dove could definitely recruit someone strong, and I didn't want to have to deal with that.

* * *

 **Carver had better watch out. Dove's ally is super strong.**

 **13th Place: Dove Sybilla- Windpipe fractured by Carver**

 **Dove was a very interesting character for me to get. I liked her personality and her backstory, despite it not necessarily being realistic. However, lots of other people didn't like her. That, mixed with the fact that I had eight girls and five boys, was the reason Dove had to fall. Her form also mentioned that she wasn't physically strong, which was why Carver could beat her. Thank you to Nightcat for Dove, who I thought was awesome.**

 **Also, all y'all should go submit to Bloodonice's SYOT, Blood on Ice: the 65th Games. I submitted a tribute and I wanna read her.**


	55. Water, Hunt, Death

**Sebastian Wright (D4M)**

It was time for another hunt. The Pack had been resting for far too long, and the Gamemakers were bound to be getting antsy for some action. Glacine still didn't want me to go out, but I insisted. She asked for more fun, but I knew she just wanted me to stay in the Cornucopia. I managed to get her to admit she was worried that I was still injured, so I showed her my mostly-healed wounds to convince her that I was fine. She couldn't very well argue without calling me weak, so she stopped arguing.

Minos and Ambrose were still being kept under both watch by both me and Glacine after the last hunt. This time, they walked right up to us. "We'll join the hunt this time," Ambrose offered. He didn't seem to like it, but I was glad that he finally realized how stupid he was, wanting to stay in the Cornucopia and not get any action.

Glacine came over to me and dangled her arms around my neck. She whispered to me, "They don't have to come. You and I could get all the action, and then we could come home to a nicely prepared Cornucopia." She glared at Minos and Ambrose while she said that, and while I didn't know why, I didn't particularly care. I would be fine hunting with just her.

Ambrose and Minos happily accepted our offers, getting straight to work choosing which food to prepare. I picked up a sword from our pile of weapons. In the previous hunt I had decided that I should use a long-range weapon, but this time I was done with that crud. I was going to fight with my weapon of choice, not a crummy spear. Glacine picked up a couple of throwing knives before following me out of our safe clearing.

Only two of us were hunting, and I recognized the importance of fighting smart. Nobody was likely to attack two Careers, but we couldn't afford to be terribly unsafe. I directed Glacine to watch my back, and she promptly fell a couple of steps behind, protecting me. She frowned as she did it, but she seemed to understand how important that was as well.

It took us a long while before we saw any sign of human life, and when we did, it was nothing too great. We saw a parachute, which meant we were likely attacking a strong tribute. A strong tribute would have the common sense to either leave the area or hide their parachute. Whoever had been sponsored could have been across the Arena at that point.

When I finally did see something, it took me a long time to figure out that it was human life. The tribute was so small I wrote them off as an animal. By the time that I realized that it was an opponent, they had seen me. I motioned to Glacine that we should surround them and not allow them to run, but she eliminated any need for that when she let her knife fly.

* * *

 **Simmons Hall (D5F)**

Kia and I were still mourning over the death of Magpie. We were both still crying and both of us hardly wanted to do anything. We knew we should have been a bit better by then. We would be probably avoid certain foods no matter how long we had to recover, and we would still be sad, but we should have been a little bit better. We also knew somebody should have been keeping watch, but we didn't care. I quickly learned to regret that.

When I spotted Sebastian, I motioned for Kia to leave the tree. He had seen us for sure, and we had to get away. His apparent confusion would allow us a little bit of time to escape, but it couldn't last long. I was getting ready to hop to the next tree, following Kia, when a pain struck my chest.

The pain didn't start out as much, just a little note to my brain that something was wrong. It quickly grew, stinging worse than a hundred bees and bleeding a lot. I knew I was badly injured, and I started freaking out. You can't bleed that much unless something's terribly wrong. Even I could tell that, and I wasn't exactly well-trained.

Sebastian and Glacine seemed to assume that the wound would kill me. They also seemed to assume that I didn't have an ally. That was one thing they had wrong. Kia rushed over to me as soon as the Careers left and bent down beside me. She was crying, and while I couldn't be certain, I thought I was crying, too. "Simmons!" was all she managed to sob out before falling voicelessly beside me.

Kia seemed upset by the silence, but I didn't mind it. I was content just sobbing right alongside her, happy to know that somebody cared. "Thank you for allying with me," I whispered as I felt my strength failing me. Kia just nodded and curled beside me. I wasn't sure if she wasn't certain what to say or if she was incapable of speaking, but I didn't care either way. I was going to die, and that was that, no matter what Kia had to say. All the same, the Arena couldn't have offered a better death.

* * *

 **Giselle Parkfields (D7F)**

After I had finally finished my shelter, I took a step back to look at it. There were tons of amazing traps everywhere, some of which probably worked due to dumb luck. However, I was quickly beginning to doubt my plans. I was incredibly conspicuous, and anyone who had bravery would be able to get right past all of my traps. I sighed as I began tearing them all down.

One of the traps went off when I grabbed onto it to tear it down. It was a simpler, smaller trap, so I decided that that one could be kept around. I vaguely remembered how I made it and set it back up, then proceeded to tear down the rest. I was amazed at the fact that nothing attacked me when I was so weak, but someone must've been looking out for me, because I was fine.

Once all of the traps were down I allowed myself to rest for a little bit. The sun was high in the sky, and I knew I couldn't allow myself to rest for long. I needed food and I needed water. The problem was, I had no idea how to get either. I could hope my trap would catch something, but that wasn't nearly likely enough, and that wasn't water. I knew I could gather some berries while I made a plan for getting water, and I slowly plotted the rest of my day.

Gathering berries wouldn't be a problem. I had seen some here and there, and I remembered where they were. I wouldn't have a very substantial meal, but it would be better than nothing, and it would hold me over until when I next ate. I made a plan for gather water while I gathered, since I had no time to waste after my rest.

Finding water was simple. It was everywhere. My real problem was drinking said water. I didn't have a real filter, leaving me with two options. Either I could drink the water as it was and hope I put more in than came out, or I could design a makeshift filter and hope for the best. Naturally, I chose the latter, since the former was a terrible idea. Once I had all that planned out, I just had to figure out how to make a filter.

I didn't have many supplies with me, but I knew I could figure something out. _Your best bet would be boiling the water, but you don't have a container. Or do you?_ My plan was a bit crazy, but it would probably attract sponsors. I reached into my shirt and unhooked my bra, scooping some water into it. My bra was quickly soaked and nearly unwearable, but it did hold a little bit of water. _Heck yeah!_

The next problem was starting a fire. I knew how to do that, but it was risky. I found the most densely packed trees I could and started my fire there. The trees were probably wet enough that they wouldn't be set ablaze, and I hoped the canopy would make sure the smoke couldn't be seen. I was cold, wet, and still hungry, but I had water.

* * *

 **12th Place: Simmons Hall- Knife thrown by Glacine**

 **Simmons was pretty epic. I had a hard time writing her at first, as was probably noticeable in her Reaping chapter. She was a bit of a jerk back then, but I knew she had more. She grew a lot over the Games and she died as a pretty good person. I think we all knew she wasn't going to win, but she was fun while she lasted, and she got a better death than she would have hoped for. Thank you to Snowstar2 for Simmons, a tribute who couldn't win but was still a great addition to the story.**

 **On a much happier note, we're halfway through the Games now!**


	56. We Can't Keep Living Like This

**Kia Steer (D6F)**

Losing Magpie was hard on me. Losing Simmons was devestating. Just before then, I thought I had a chance. Not much of one, but a little bit. I had friends, and they could definitely be useful. Now, I lost that chance. I was all alone, and I was running low on supplies. I still had water, but we ran out of food quickly, and I had been eating scarcely the entire Games to make our supplies last as long as possible. I didn't know anything about plants except that poison would kill me faster than starvation. I didn't intend to find out more from experience. Pretty much, I was screwed. Nobody was going to sponsor that thirteen-year-old from Six food, and who knew how much longer the Games would last?

My self-pity and small attempts at regathering myself were interrupted when I heard a tell-tale dinging. At that point, I didn't expect anyone to want to help, and I thought for sure any money Mr. Doppler could have gotten was spent by then. Apparently, it wasn't. My parachute was small, but I didn't mind. Great things can come in small packages, and great my item was. Within the parachute I found two throwing knives. I wasn't too great at using those, but it was certainly better than nothing. Worst case scenario, I could whittle myself a different weapon. I didn't know how to whittle, but I might have the rest of my life to learn.

As it turned out, I was better with throwing knives than I expected. My aim was far from perfect, but I knew that without checking. My aim wasn't necessarily so bad that I would miss, and there was even a chance I could do some damage. I could probably slow someone down, if nothing else. I could also get myself some food. Knives ended up being a lot more than I originally thought. A weapon was one thing, but a knife provided so much more.

Hunting was quite the task for someone who probably couldn't hit a human with a knife. The small things I went after, mostly raccoons, knew how to avoid me. I would throw and they would duck under the water or dodge to the side. I didn't know animals were capable of being that smart. I was about to accept going hungry and work on my aim when I got a perfect find.

Skittering across the ground were these weird, ugly rat things. They were even smaller than the raccoons, so I didn't think I had a chance with them. However, I didn't need to have good aim to kill them. I threw one knife at them, since I figured I may as well try, and it fell down, despite my missing by about a mile. I threw my other knife at it and finally managed to hit something, althought I knew the animal wasn't dead. However, true to my hopes, it was weakened. That meant I had time to stab it again before it could get up and leave. _Now you have food. Next is a plan._

I had a plan at the beginning of the Games. I wanted to have a bunch of allies and let them work on supplies while I built traps. Obviously, the first part of my plan wasn't successful. That didn't mean the second part had to fail. I worked on traps almost exclusively during my time in the Training Centre. I knew how to make some, whether or not they would kill whoever I trapped. Getting my hands dirty would almost definitely be needed, but nobody could come out of the Games without that happening to them. I didn't know how well my will would hold up in the actual moment, but right then, I could handle it. _Now you have food and a plan. Next is putting it in action._

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

Glacine and Sebastian were on the hunt. Minos and I weren't. Glacine didn't like me or Minos. We all knew that and we knew each of us knew it. Glacine couldn't have been accidentally giving us the perfect chance to leave peaceably, and we weren't going to pass up what could well be our only good opportunity. Minos and I knew that if the Careers fought, even the winners would regret it. We didn't need that in our lives.

We didn't need many supplies. Minos grabbed his weapon of choice and I grabbed the closest thing I could find. I picked up a bottle of iodine and some water bottles while Minos grabbed food. Our best bet would be to take so little that Sebastian wouldn't think it was worth going after us. He would come someday, but we wanted to make that wait as long as possible. Sebastian could very well go out and get himself killed. Neither of us would mind that.

Minos made us wait longer than was needed to go out. Why, you might wonder? Because he lost Herman. We spent painful minutes searching for Minos' pet frog. I didn't mind animals, I was actually fond of them, but I didn't want to risk my life for one. Frogs are cute. They aren't worth having to fight two trained Careers over, even if you have an ally. Minos didn't seem to have that much logic in his head.

Finally, we got hold of Herman. Minos held him tightly as he got up, making sure that Herman had no chance to escape. I heard a cannon go off and began to urge Minos to hurry up and gather what supplies he had grabbed so we could get out of there. Glacine could be coming back at any time! Finally he seemed convinced, and finally he began to hurry. He grabbed all of his stuff in one arm, carrying Herman in the other, and lead the way, distancing us from the Cornucopia.

Neither of us decided that Minos would lead us, but I didn't mind. Sticking to the background wasn't that bad of an idea for as long as I could get away with it. I was glad that we wouldn't be threatened with going on the hunt anymore. I was a Career who could kill and would to save his life. That didn't mind that I would track down someone to kill in order to get a pride, and I didn't think Minos would be interested in that, either. He seemed fine with just living through the Games, and if nothing else, he probably wouldn't want to risk me leaving the alliance.

Upon reaching a place we dubbed far enough and safe enough, we sat down and showed what we got. I brandished a spear and four water bottles, as well as a bottle of iodine tablets. Minos had a mace and about twenty pounds of food. I had no way to weigh it, but it was a lot. We set up camp and settled in, hoping that the drama we caused simply by leaving would be enough that the Gamemakers left us alone.

* * *

 **Nebojsa Imanzi (D10M)**

My situation got worse by the minute. No matter what I did, I couldn't get enough water in my body to have a fighting chance with the mutt. The little trickle of water I used to be able to get down my throat was getting smaller with each swallow, and I was getting nervous. I usually knew how to stay calm, but it was getting hard. I couldn't move my neck and I could hardly move my jaw. It was all I could do to stay in my tree with how close I was to fainting.

Despite my terrible situation, I wanted to beat the mutt. It was an "If I go down, you go down with me!" situation. The mutt just kept watching my suffer, and I finally got frustrated enough to attack. I threw a spear at the mutt and waiter for it to resurface. It wasn't until the mutt got out of range that I realized it was too smart for even that. Unless I left my tree I wasn't going to be able to fight it, and I couldn't beat it in a fair fight. I had to focus on staying alive, then. One less thing to distract myself with.

I was sweating. I didn't know how. Everything I did resulted in more sweating, so I tried to force water down my throat. Most of it was coughed out, but a little went down. It hurt when my throat twitched to let the water through, but that pain was nothing compared to the rest of the Games. I could handle a bit of tightness. I could handle any pain for some water.

All I could do was keep forcing water down my throat in that nearly impossible way, little by little, until I had a decent amount in my body. The mutt was gone for the moment, presumably to let me get more water. The Gamemakers wanted their fight to be dramatic. I gathered water, since I wasn't going to waste an opportunity. I just had to keep forcing it in.

As it turned out, I couldn't handle any amount of pain. A tree branch poked into my arm, and I started shaking and jerking, and nearly fell out of my tree. The mutt came back to me and I glared at it. It thought I was going to fall. Even with the water I had forced into myself, I knew I was dead. Even so, the mutt couldn't get me. Glaring at it with all the hate I could muster, I tied myself to my tree. It wasn't until I was breathing my last breath that I realized the mutt had won.

* * *

 **10th Place: Nebojsa Imanzi- Tetanus**

 **Nebojsa was a very strong contender in these Games. He knew what he was doing and he had a good plan. However, he slipped into hiding, and the Gamemakers couldn't allow that. Throughout this Arena it wasn't a question of whether or not there would be tetanus so much as who would get it. Neb was the one who got stuck with it. He was very smart throughout most of the Games, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. Disinfectant won't kill tetanus unless you manage to apply it right, which Neb didn't. Puncture wounds didn't come to mind. Thank you tracelynn for Neb, a level-headed character who was quite the contender.**

 **So, in the Neb vs. Crocodile/Komodo Dragon battle, everyone won and lost. The mutt won by giving Neb tetanus, tetanus won by killing Neb, and Neb won by not getting eating. Congrats.**

 **Also, Kia is now living off of opossums.**


	57. Second Cannons

**District 9**

Andres was missed by everyone in the District. The fields were too quiet without him constantly making jokes. Without him, there wasn't anyone who could comfort his parents, or his siblings. Hyacinth's sisters stopped arguing so much once she was gone, and they took take of Marley as well as Hyacinth ever could.

* * *

 **Sol Johnson (District 5 Mentor)**

This year wasn't fair. It never should have happened. Isaac was a smart kid. In a different year, he could have won. He was the smartest kid I ever got. Simmons should have stayed in her room and played with her teddy bear. She should still be a kid. She should still be in Five.

* * *

 **District 5**

The Wyatts didn't know how to respond to Isaac's death. The odds of him winning were slim. Their calculations of that covered the walls. They still didn't want to believe that it could happen, no matter what the numbers said. Most people didn't miss Simmons. She never could make any friends. The Halls mourned quietly, and Bridgett was always a bit more quiet after that.

* * *

 **Bessie Deere (District 10 Mentor)**

I knew Evie didn't have a chance from the beginning. People like her could never win the Games. I was a bit disappointed about Neb. He could have been Ten's next Victor. Nobody stood a chance when the Gamemakers decided to kill them. Nobody could have gotten out of that.

* * *

 **District 10**

Ten lost its best vet that year. Mr. Johnson always took better care of his horse, and the Imanzis gave Neb's horse extra sugar cubes and apples. Evie's grandparents couldn't take care of a farm without her, and they got rid of most of their animals. They always kept their cows, though. They said they needed the milk, but they knew it was something more.

* * *

 **Harvest Cormick (District 11 Mentor)**

Magpie shouldn't have gone into the Games. She should have been playing board games with Simmons and Kia. I hoped she managed to find Simmons wherever she went. Redd wasn't going to win the Games, and his death didn't surprise me. He went out like I'm sure he would have wanted, and that was all I could hope for for him.

* * *

 **District 11**

Eleven didn't expect a Victor that year. They knew that neither of those kids stood a chance, but they wished they were still around. Emily and Jessie got together more often and played board games with the younger kids. Redd's parents managed to miss him despite the chaos of their house, and Alyca became a legend amongst the District kids for balancing apples as well as Redd himself.

* * *

 **Faris Nye-** Norah Mendell

I knew Faris would show up in the sky that night. That didn't make it any less painful to see. The logic had stacked up began to crumble when I saw him. He was dead. He only wanted what I wanted. He wasn't even willing to hurt anyone to save his life.

* * *

 **Mustang Cobolt-** Giselle Parkfields

He died saving me. I didn't know why. He didn't have to do anything like that. I wished I could have done something more to honor him. I wished he was back with Bianco. He didn't protect me just to have a girl in the Games. He protected my because he thought I needed it, whether or not he said it out loud. He didn't now how much I needed him.

* * *

 **Isaac Wyatt-** Ambrose Caraway

Minos and I were surprised when we saw Isaac. Neither of us had killed him. If Sebastian was the one who killed him, we would have known. I shuddered as I went to bed. That meant that there was one more killer on the loose. Wasn't four enough?

* * *

 **Magpie Orchard-** Rybbon Marbroox

 _One person closer to home._ Magpie was a great person. I knew I would miss her, but somehow, that didn't matter as much as it should have. She died, but that meant I might not have to. I didn't want to think like that. I just couldn't stop myself.

* * *

 **Dove Sybilla-** Smudge Kells

Dove was in the sky. Why was she up there? She was supposed to be with me. Evie went up there too. I didn't think they were ever coming back. I didn't know why they left me, but hopefully they would be happy together.

* * *

 **Simmons Hall-** Kia Steer

Simmons saved me. She started off as a crybaby who thought I hated her because of who knows what. She should have hated me. I promised her that I wouldn't leave her, but she had to save me in the end. I should have been the one in the sky that night.

* * *

 **Nebojsa Imanzi-** Minos Vella

Neb was one of the people I least expected to be shown that night. He seemed like one of the biggest threats in the entire Games. Whatever had killed him was a force to be reckoned with. I didn't want to have to face that.

* * *

 **I did District Nine's response to deaths way too late because I forgot to do it in the first round.**

 **Also, Neb got eleventh. That's just me screwing up again.**


	58. Tree Huggers

**Carver Redwood (D7M)**

Dove's ally hadn't killed me yet. I still didn't have any knowledge of who she was except that she existed. I decided that if she hadn't found me by then she wasn't trying to, since she would have at least been near me. I seemed to be all alone, but I didn't mind that for the moment. According to the cannons, there had been a lot of drama lately. I could afford a period of being boring.

My sponsors seemed to think otherwise. A parachute came tinkling town towards me. It had food in it, meaning I obviously wasn't supposed to focus on hunting animals. It didn't have any water, which disappointed me, but I still had some iodine. I could last. However, the thing that convinced me the most that I was supposed to find some people was the axe. The axe was like nothing I was used to. It was big, it had a huge, decorative handle, and it had two blades. As I picked it up I could tell that it could do some serious damage, and I decided to put it to use.

There was no guarantee that I would be able to find anybody in the Arena. The odds of me finding anyone were slim, and the odds of my finding someone I was willing to attack were even slimmer. Some weak tributes remained, but a lot of Careers did, too. The Careers probably had weapons even better than mine, and I wasn't dumb enough to rush in and attack them. They would win.

As I stumbled along looking for people, I heard some noises. Naturally, I wanted to check them out. The noises were rather faint, but that could just mean that whatever caused them knew how to sneak well. Volume couldn't only show distance. I began to expect that I was approaching a Career when I realized what the source of the noises was. A big deer was standing in front of me, staring at me with a started gaze. I stopped dead in my tracks and took a step back. I didn't want to mess with that.

Deer are often considered to be calm, quiet creatures. They're always supposed to be peaceful and sweet. They aren't. While I never had an experience with deer in Seven, I knew that they could do a lot of damage if they chose. Their hooves could gouge deeply and their sheer weight could crush a bone. If the deer got within my swing, I would be doomed.

Luckily for me, the deer didn't approach. It just stood there and stared at me. I stared right back at it for a while before I realized how dumb I was leaving myself completely unguarded. Another stroke of luck allowed me not to get attacked right then, but I didn't want to rely on luck. Luck had been in my favor a lot lately, and luck like that couldn't last forever.

* * *

 **Norah Mendell (D3F)**

I knew my grief was bound to subside after a while, and it did. Little by little it began to dissipate and I was able to rebuild my barriers of logic. I knew they would crumble again if I killed again, but I tried to keep my mind off of that. I wanted to get home, so I would kill. That was a simple statement that could be hugely overcomplicated until I decided that it was acceptable for the moment. I didn't have time to worry about my conscience, anyways. I had to make a new plan.

My last invention didn't work so well. I managed to get rid of one opponent, but it was basic and easily could have been defeated. If Isaac had leapt from the tree a bit earlier, or if the spear had hit me, I would have been doomed. I couldn't risk another attack like that, even though it was the only thing I had supplies for. Supplies could be found almost anywhere, and knew where a lot of things were. I would just have to scavage some random plants if nothing else came my way. I wouldn't have the best weapon it the world, but I would be armed and dangerous.

Something else came my way. It appeared that Three didn't hate me for killing Faris, since I managed to get a sponsor gift. I wouldn't have wished for anything better than the bounty that came to me. I got a weird hook thing that could shoot out when I pressed the button. Just that would have been enough for me to do some damage, and likely enough that I could kill someone, but it had so much more. Two power tablets were in the parachute, as well as a bunch of tools. I knew what message Tellie was trying to send me even without a note, and I got straight to work.

The Capitol wouldn't allow Tellie to send me a screwed up sponsor gift, like power tablets with wires sticking out. However, sending me some power tablets with wires intact and some tools that could change that was allowed. I grabbed my supplies and started taking apart the tablet, careful not to shock myself. My careful frog dissecting finally came to be useful when a steady hand was the difference between life and death. If my screwdriver so much as nudged one of the wires hundreds of volts of electricity would be pumped into my body. That would be unhealthy.

Once my completely destroying a power tablet was done, I climbed a tree with my gifts. I carefully checked to make sure no part of me or my supplies was in the water and dropped my tablet into the swamp. Crackling electricity exploded outwards from it and I waited to hear some cannons. I knew they wouldn't come instantly, but they would come.

* * *

 **Giselle Parkfields (D7F)**

My bra couldn't hold very much water. Whenever I wasn't gathering food, checking on my snare, or catching an hour of sleep, I was refilling my bra. I was surprised that I hadn't managed to set it on fire at that point, but I wasn't going to complain. If the Gamemakers wanted to give me an oddly sturdy bra, let them. I would just profit in a way many tributes didn't think to.

Gathering water was the low poinit of my day. I loved having more water around, but it meant being out of my tree, where anybody could get me and I was extra vulnerable to animals. Some people said that people in Seven were too attached to their trees and may as well be monkeys, but I didn't care. Trees were very important, and I had no intentions of ignoring them. It simply can't be that something useless could support hundreds of people, like and entire District contains.

My snare was a bit useful, sometimes catching me a rabbit or a squirrel. I roasted all of my meat over my water fire, happy that I was bold enough to risk a one. Nobody tracked me down and killed me because of it, and I got to have warm meals without wasting sponsor money. It was a lot more than most tributes got in their Games, and it was plenty to make me happy despite my constant danger.

I checked my water and realized that it was nearly out, so I went down to gather some more. Something about the water looked slightly off, but I ignored it. It didn't seem to be anything too dangerous, and if it was an animal it would be much more clear. The water just had a slight tinge to it; it wasn't bubbling or splashing all over the place. At least, not more so than water can be expected to. No tributes had been near me since Mustang died, so it couldn't have been fatal. Worst case scenario, I scraped my knee.

I quickly learned that my judgement was seriously off that day. I did scrape my knee as I climbed down my tree, but that was by no means the worst thing that happened. A shock traveled through my body as quickly as I hit the water. I tried to pull away, but my limbs wouldn't respond. I sat there, frozen in place, for four terrifying seconds before things continued to get worse.

At first, the shock was just a pain on my skin and my limbs being stuck. I was obviously in a terrible position, but things could get a lot worse, which they did. I could feel a distinct change in the sensation the electricity caused me when it breached my skin. In the few seconds I had before my heart went awry, I managed to get one spiteful thought in. _I told you trees were important._

* * *

 **10th Place: Giselle Parkfields- Electrocuted by Norah**

 **Giselle was an interesting tribute for me to write. She started off as difficult for me to write, but I got the hang of her little my little. She was even my choice for Victor for a while, but that's obviously changed. Norah's weapon just couldn't go without victims, and she was the best choice. She had run her course, and it seemed like a good death for her. She died using an invention, and her form noted that she was inventive. Her Games plan was to use self-defense against anyone who attacked her, but you can't defend against electricity. Thank you BakaranDaReader (or the SurvivorLover, I don't even know anymore) for Giselle, who was a cool tribute with good strengths but realistic weaknesses.**

 **And yes, she actually is tenth.**


	59. We Are Never Getting Back Together

**Smudge Kells (D12F)**

My spot seemed pretty safe to me. I had the little bit of water I could hold in my water bottle, which wasn't the safest but it was better than nothing. I had some food Dove left as well, and I got some food from parachutes, and I didn't eat much, anyways. The only reason something seemed wrong with my spot was that Dove left me, and I didn't know why, but I knew she had her reasons. She didn't seem to be in the Games anymore, so that was good.

All throughout the day, parachutes came towards me. All of them had really tiny boxes, but I didn't mind. It was fun to get a cool surprise with each box I opened. Nothing I got had much use. I received a whole bunch of cookies with fancy writing on them. Things like Dove, Smudge, and Friend were writen on them. They didn't really fill me up, and I couldn't tell what they said, but that didn't matter. They were pretty. The writing was done in gel, with soft purples and blues. I almost felt bad eating them, they were so gorgeous. I also got a piece of paper, but I couldn't tell what that said easier. I wished Dove was there to tell me what it meant.

The only thing I thought was wrong with my spot was the sponsor gifts. The parachutes were giving away my position, so I moved a lot, taking the gifts with me. However, as I moved, more parachutes came down, constantly revealing where I was. I was grateful for the presents, but I lost some of my sense of safety as they came to me. I decided just to constantly keep moving and hope for the best, since I didn't see any other way I could stay hidden. I definitely couldn't risk anybody finding me.

One problem presented itself to me. While I was constantly moving, I risked finding someone. I didn't realize that until I found someone. They were bigger than me and they had a weapon. I couldn't tell who they were, but they certainly didn't seem safe to be around. When they began to attack, that was made extra clear. I didn't know how to avoid the attack, so I had to hope they couldn't do too much damage. It was an unlikely hope to come true, especially since they had an ally, but I couldn't really do anything but hope at the time.

One of my cookies got splattered with red. None of the previous cookies had that color ink on them. I didn't know why one would stick out that much until I looked at my stomach. In my state of anxiety, my body must have shut down a bit, since I hardly felt it as the spear sank into me. I fell down when the man pulled it out and hoped he would leave me alone. He stabbed me again and left. I didn't have time to make a poultice. I knew that without thinking. I did have time to eat one last cookie.

* * *

 **Glacine Rockridge (D1F)**

After we made two kills, Sebastian and I decided it was time to go back to the Cornucopia. I expected to find it entirely uninhabited when I got there. I hoped to find it empty. Ambrose and Minos seemed like decent people, but I couldn't have them messing up my chance at victory. An alliance is only as strong as its weakest link, and Ambrose and Minos were dragging our alliance down.

To my delight, the Cornucopia was empty when we got there. To my dismay, Sebastian got very angry because of that. He called Minos and Ambrose traitors and scum, insisting that we should track them down right then and kill them. As useful as killing them would be, I knew that that was not the time. A peaceful breakup was lovely; if we all went into battle, casualties would be certain. I knew that for sure, but the hard part would be convincing Sebastian of that. He seemed hardheaded.

Much logic would need to be used to convince Sebastian. Not all of my logic had to be correct, but it had to sound sensible. I was walking on eggshells trying to convince an angry Career that he had a bad idea, so I had to make sure my logic was sensible, polite logic. That was not an easy thing to ensure, and all of my answers took far longer than they should have. However, I thought I could see him calming down when I mentioned my weaknesses rather than his. He didn't seem inclined to losing me yet, and I didn't insult his ego by calling him weak.

As it turned out, Sebastian was a lot angrier than I thought he was. He hurled his spear at me, and while I did my best to dodge it, it still lodged itself in me. Luckily for me, that meant he no longer had a weapon. However, we were in the Cornucopia. He promptly picke up another spear and tried to throw it at me. My dodge was much more clear that time, but I was slowed down by the spear in me. I couldn't risk pulling it out because that would make me lose more blood, but having it in my slowed me down. I would have to fight in a new way due to my predicament, but I had throwing knives.

Throwing one knife at his head, I took aim for his legs with another. The one aimed at his head missed, as expected, but the knife I threw at his legs grazed him. It wasn't much, but in this Arena, it could mean death. He jumped a bit when I hit him, apparently surprised that he wasn't bulletproof. He took a stance across from me and picked up all the spears in the Cornucopia. I held my throwing knives and prepared for the showdown of a lifetime. I wasn't going to get any closer, and I strongly doubted that he would.

I threw a knife; he threw a spear. It went on like that for hours, but I had more throwing knives that he had spears. I began to get very confident when he got to his final three spears, chucking one knife away from me in a show of pride. He threw two of his spears at me, and I did my best to dodge them. It wasn't the cleanest dodge in the world, but I had definitely won the battle. Or so I thought, until Sebastian decided to abandon all logic and run at me while I was dodging. I threw knives at him while he ran, but he dodged while running, making himself nearly impossible to hit. I grazed him a couple more times, but he got to me after I threw my last knife.

Killing someone with a spear takes time. If I had a weapon, I still would have had a chance. However, Sebastian seemed to know that, and he kept me herded to the edge of our clearing. I dodged his blows with all of the accuracy that I could, but it was nearly impossible, especially with a spear sticking out of my side. He stabbed me in the stomach and jerked his spear back out. I grimaced as I felt my insides tearing, but I knew I had to keep going until I died. That wasn't a long wait. Sebastian stabbed me in the stomach again and again, each blow causing more damage than the one before. I knew I had lost, and Sebastian knew it as well. He stabbed me one last time and left the spear in me, standing over me until I breathed my last.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

My bandage around my hand didn't seem like much. I constantly checked on it and tried to keep anything I could out of the wrap. I was lucky that I could still use it, but it was still scary to know that all I had was a piece of fabric between my injury and the poisonous outside world. I didn't seem to be infected yet; the wound wasn't particularly swollen or anything, but I didn't trust that. My situation could change in a second, and I wanted to notice the change right away.

However, my pelt seemed to be working. No more of the animals had attacked me lately, meaning I could gather water whenever I needed it. I quickly realized that just drying the meat seemed like a bad idea and I should probably set it on a rock, not a tree branch. The rocks were always hot and would probably be more efficient at heating up the meat than just the sun. I loved every piece of real meat I ate and made sure not to eat too many ate one time. I knew they would run out someday, so I still kept an eye out for frogs I could kill. They were starting to become tasteless at that point.

Two cannons went off during the day. They were far enough apart that it didn't sound like the Career breakup, so I had to hope that it wasn't a hunt. If the Careers went on a hunt it would certainly provide enough drama that the Gamemakers wouldn't flush me out of my spot, but I might end up being part of said drama. At the start of the Games cannons were bittersweet, because they meant I was closer to life but they also meant someone died. The cannons should have been entirely sweet at that point, since I was so close, but they just became more bitter. Each cannon meant I was closer to life, but also closer to my own death, which was all I could focus on at that moment. Not dying seemed a better priority than becoming a Victor.

Nobody came out to attack me after the cannons, but I took my pelt down from my tree just to be safe. I decided that it was better to risk more mutts than a Career, despite the fact that my mutts were as smart as some Careers. If I disappeared for a while, there was a chance nothing would be able to find me. While making my presence known certainly seemed important at times, there was a delicate balance between bold and idiotic. I had to walk the line. The Gamemakers wouldn't allow me hiding for long, but they would allow it for the moment, and that moment could end up being what I needed to survive.

* * *

 **9th Place: Smudge Kells- Speared by Sebastian**

 **Ah, Smudge. It hurts me to kill her, but we all knew she wasn't going to win. I needed something dramatic for her, and I tried my best to get it. Smudge was a bit difficult for me to form a personality for, since she was the one that required the most actual development, but I learned not to mind that with her. I also learned how to progress a character a little bit, so Smudge was valuable as entertainment and as an experience. Thank you LCS for Smudge, who was awesome despite being that twelve-year-old from Twelve.**

 **8th Place: Glacine Rockridge- Speared by Sebastian**

 **Glacine was quite the feat for me to write. I saw more in her than just some jerky Career, but I didn't seem to portray it very well. I tried to make her someone that could be interesting to read about, and I hope I did that well. Glacine definitely had a chance at Victory, and her plan made sense, but nobody could really account for Sebastian's personality. Thank you to BakaranDaSurvivorLover (I think) for Glacine, who had a cool Games plan and a fun storyline.**


	60. Final Seven Interviews

**Marcelene Chaplin (Interviewer)**

I smiled and waved at the cameras as I got onto the train. Each train ride would hardly take any time, but I appreciated the few minutes I had to get ready before my interviews. "Hello Panem, and welcome to the final seven interviews! As this year's Games comes closer to their end, we will interview the families of our remaining tributes to see what they have to say about their children. First up were have the Vellas from One. Mr. and Mrs. Vella, what do you have to say to your boy?"

"Well, Mrs. Chaplin, we'd like to wish Minos good luck. At first I was shaky about his volunteering, but now I know he has a chance at winning. Come back home to us, Minos!"

"Mr. Vella sure seems confident at his son's standings. Let's go on to the next family, the Caraways of Two!" I called out as I got onto the next train. I didn't know why I bothered going to the Career Districts. They knew their children would make it a long ways.

"Mrs. Caraway, what do you think of Ambrose's current situation?"

"Well, I'm a bit worried about him, what with Sebastian so angry at them and all, but I'm sure he'll be able to get himself out of this mess. He always showed promise for the Games, and one Career won't possibly destroy his chances at winning. Come back home and make the Caraways proud again, Ambrose!"

Ambrose's grandma, I assumed, was glaring at his mother the entire time she talked. I didn't know what was up with her, and I honestly didn't care. I just wanted to head on to Norah's family. They would be interesting. "Mr. and Mrs. Mendell, are you excited with how Norah's doing in the Games?"

"I knew Norah would have a chance in the Games," Norah's father replied, "but I wasn't certain she would come home. I'm certainly excited at how many people have sponsored her. I was worried she wouldn't attract many sponsors, she's so quiet, but she certainly seems like she's going to come home. Best of luck, Norah!"

The father's eyes lit up while he talked about Norah, and this exciting family surprised me compared to the daughter they produced. I wasn't expecting anything near the sort of that when I walked through the door, and I was almost happy for the calmness that Sebastian's family would offer. "Mr. Wright, I'm sure you knew Sebastian would do well. What do you think of his recent actions?"

"Sebastian was right to kill that One girl. She was going to get him killed. He's supposed to focus on winning the Games, not having a good time. If he's not as dumb as he appears to be he's certain to win, but he's probably as dumb as he seems. He had better come back, though. It'd be so embarrassing if he didn't."

Bingo! That was what a Career's parents should have said. Career's parents were a nice, predictable force. Usually. Next up was the Steer family, and I knew what to expect from them. Six almost always said the same thing. Kia was certainly an unexpected top contender, and I was curious of what their exact words would be. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Steer. What do you have to say to Kia?"

"We knew Kia would do well in the Games. While she wasn't the strongest contender, she could definitely make an alliance, and she wouldn't take any crud from anyone. We're happy that she managed to make a nice trap, and we hope that she's able to continue staying safe until the end. We miss you, Kia. Come back!"

Blah blah blah. I should have seen that coming, but I had hoped for something a little more energetic. They seemed worried, which was logical, but also a bit boring. I had to hope the Redwood family would be more interesting. "Hello, Mr-"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Marcelene Chaplin, Games interviewer. I'm here to interview you since your son is in the final seven of the Games." That was an unexpected welcome. Most people recognized the freaking interviewer's face. "What do you think of Carver's show during the Games?"

"I was awfully worried when he got Reaped," the woman admitted, "but he seems to be doing fine now. I thought he was going to end up like Jullie, especially when he got sick. However, he's better now, and he has an axe. I'm sure he be able to come home to us and keep Danny safe." She seemed awfully absentminded, but I couldn't understand why. The Games should have been her biggest worry. _Just one more._

Rybbon's family could have been anything. She didn't show anything but friendliness when I had met her, so she could have come from any functional family. I knocked on her door and exclaimed, "Hello, Marbroox residence! I'm Marcelene Chaplin, here to interview you since your child is in the final seven!" I wasn't going to be questioned again. "What do you think of Rybbon's success so far?"

"It's surprising that she managed to do so well. She never did anything that well back at home," her father muttered.

"Don't act like that, honey," Mrs. Marbroox scolded him. "I was worried at first, and more worried when she got attacked by a mutt, but she seems fine now. I do worry about how she's coping without Sisal. I can't see inside her head, after all. We love you, Rybbon. Most of us, at least." That was an odd experience, but I didn't mind. That meant it wasn't awfully boring. I smiled and waved before leaving and getting into a train. I was so done with work. I needed a rest.

* * *

 **These are the final seven interviews. As Marcelene mentioned, they get repetitive. I don't mind writing them, but if you don't care for them, I'll stop. Please tell me in your review (if you bother reviewing) whether or not you want me to write the final seven interviews if I write another Games.**


	61. Schoolhouse Rock

**Sebastian Wright (D4M)**

Glacine didn't know her place. I was the leader in our alliance, even if the alliance just got a lot smaller. If she couldn't accept that, she couldn't stay around. She would just drag me down. Trying to fight me off was definitely a mistake, though. She was weak. Someone from Twelve would have been able to tell; a Career wouldn't have the slightest difficulty. She barely even wounded me. That meant I could continue my hunt without a break.

Being a Career meant I trained to destroy those who were weak or those who were backstabbers. Minos and Ambrose were the worst Careers in the history of Panem. They left the Pack, but I knew that would happen. My problem was the fact that they didn't even have the guts or dignity to leave with a fight. They ran like cowards, and they even took supplies. They took them strategically, probably trying to make sure I wouldn't notice. That just meant they were even more cowardly. Being in the Pack was certain to end with someone failing, but they could have failed better.

There was a lot of Arena to cover, and there was no way I was going to cover it in one day. Luckily for me, the Gamemakers liked action. I got the feeling that if I took too long they would herd me towards my prey. A battle that was two against one wasn't something that happened every day, and the Gamemakers wouldn't pass it up, even if the victor of the fight was obvious. I just had to persevere until they led me where I wanted to be. It couldn't take too long. I didn't even bother bringing supplies. The Gamemakers weren't exactly known for their patience.

No mutts came near me as I headed forwards. That was one hint I got that I was on the right path. It was nothing certain, but it definitely wasn't a bad sign. Nothing hazardous really got in my way at all, which still could mean nothing, but it wasn't bad. After a while of travelling I got a note saying: " **Fun Fact: People used to navigate by the North star.** " Fun facts weren't particularly valuable in the Games, but North was. It was definitely a clue, and it probably barely got through the note filters. _North it is._

Finding North wasn't very hard for me. I didn't have much to go off of, but I knew my directions pretty well just from my gut. I did everything I could to go in the right direction, and I slowly saw signs of life. There were some footprints here and there, and there was some flattened grass where my foes had likely slept. When I went a bit farther, I saw where they currently slept. I could have killed them right then, but I was no coward. _I_ had pride.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

Loud yells woke me up from my slumber. Naturally, I woke Minos up before going to check it out. I would have yelled at him for falling asleep on watch if I was certain it wasn't I who had fallen asleep on watch. While Minos tried to keep us organized, both of us messed up now and then. We were lucky that mistake hadn't cost us our lives.

When we saw who was yelling at us to wake up, we realized just how lucky we were. Sebastian was standing at the front of our shelter, fuming with anger. He could have killed us. While I wasn't certain, I was guessing his pride was the only reason we were still alive. Minos and I grabbed our weapons and held them defensively, knowing that Sebastian woulld recognize the stance. We didn't want a fight.

Sebastian wasn't making a fight an option. He stood back and threw a spear at us, making it clear that standing back wasn't an option. The spear missed, but that was obviously deliberate. He wanted a good fight. We would have to give one to him. Minos and I had never trained in fighting together, but we would never have a better opportunity to learn. All we could do was hope that our body language would be enough that we could tell what the heck we were supposed to do.

Minos started trying to circle around Sebastian, and I rushed him to keep him distracted. Sebastian wasn't going to have that. He stabbed at me for a second before turning around and stabbing at Minos. I then stabbed at Sebastian and knew for certain that it was going to be a long fight. Sebastian could definitely be hit a lot before he would die, but so could we. It wasn't a battle of strength anymore; it was endurance. However, the fact that Sebastian had two weapons wasn't hurting his position.

I tried valiantly to keep Sebastian off of Minos and Minos tried to keep Sebastian off of me. Whoever Sebastian attacked was probably less likely to die than the other because of our own stupid loyalty to each other. Sebastian turned all of his attention to Minos for a second, giving me the perfect time to attack him. I did, stabbing at the center of the back, but he dodged. My spear landed deeply in his shoulder, but his spear landed deeply in Minos' chest. Minos stared at me, clearly telling me not to grieve but to kill the jerk who had killed him. I wasn't about to deny his dying wish.

Sebastian turned to me, victory clearly glinting in his eyes. I pulled out my spear as he raised his. He was clearly expecting me to surrender and preparing to stab my head. I took my opportunity. He left his stomach unguarded and I attacked it. My spear landed in him at the same time Minos landed on the ground. I leapt back from the scene, trying to avoid being hurt any more. Sebastian wasn't dead yet, but he wasn't approaching me. That was all I needed. Two cannons sounded, but I wished there was only one. _At least I still have Herman to remember him by._

* * *

 **Kia Steer (D6F)**

Two cannons sounded, one right after another. I didn't think there were many outlier alliances left, and the Careers weren't likely to die one after another. That is, they wouldn't die so quickly unless the breakup was happening. I couldn't decide whether the Careers breaking up would be a good thing or a bad thing. Each Career would be weaker, but I would be more likely to get caught. I decided just to hope that some strong competitors had died. Rybbon didn't seem that dangerous, but I wouldn't have been too sad if Sebastian died.

My dullness to death was quickly becoming apparent through my life. In the District I probably couldn't have killed a fly. In the Arena I was killing fuzzy little squirrels and opossums. They were adorable, and I was sad with each one I killed, but I dealt with it. They were going to die or I was. I was as uncertain about my stance on death as I was about the Careers. I wanted to stay alive, but either the other tributes were going to die or I was. I just had to hope that my traps would kill any tributes who got caught and I wouldn't have to. I wished I had some magic with me.

The only thing I was certain about right then was that the two cannons were a good thing at that very moment. There had definitely been bloodshed lately, so the Gamemakers wouldn't be to antsy for more action. The Capitol had probably gotten its fill for the rest of the Games, especially seeing as another pair had come only earlier that day. I was thrown into the final five in what must have been a sudden battle. I definitely shouldn't have been there, but I was. I actually had a chance.

Ever since the water was electric one day, I was worried about collecting water. I couldn't be certain that the water had been dangerous, but it certainly looked the part. I always had to check three times before going in, just to be safe. Even then I wasn't sure. That was another thing the final five did. Everything could mean death at that point. Anybody could be the Victor, but anybody could be the next to die. Even the Careers had to watch their steps.

* * *

 **7th Place: Minos Vella- Speared by Sebastian**

 **Minos was a definite contender in these Games. He had a neat character which I enjoyed writing, and it was fun to try and capture. He had some humor in him as well as a lot of seriousness, and he was definitely one of the most fun Careers this year. He would have had a great chance at winning if he hadn't made Sebastian so mad. In a fight like that one of them was bound to die, and Sebastian chose him. Great thanks to CarlPoppaLOL for Minos who was a fun character that wasn't ridiculous.**

 **6th Place: Sebastian Wright- Speared by Ambrose**

 **Well we all saw that one coming. Sebastian was a pretty useful character for me. He didn't have much of a personality except "He was trained a lot and was obviously expected to be Four's next Victor." That was lovely to work with since it meant I got a villain. He quickly grew to be somewhat dumb, arrogant, and a bad planner. He actually had something likeable in his final chapter because he cared about pride, but he went about it in the wrong way. You don't just attack three Careers in a row. Thank you Thorn5502 for Sebastian, who was definitely needed in this story.**

 **Also, pride to anyone who understands the title. I couldn't come up with a good name so I used something that was very vague and not very sensible, while it made sense to me.**


	62. Electricity

**Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

After two more cannons sounded I dubbed the Arena safe enough. The Careers would definitely be done hunting after that, and the Gamemakers wouldn't want me hiding any longer than I had. There were only five tributes left, including myself, and the Gamemakers would probably be itching for action all day, every day. While I didn't intend to live a life with too much drama, I could move around and pretend that I had some purpose to make sure the Capitol didn't hate me.

Moving around was dangerous, like every other possibility, so I always had to watch where I was going carefully. One wrong step could have me stumbling onto an opponent, and I certainly wasn't in a position to fight the majority of tributes left. Each time a leaf rustled I jumped, and every time a splash sounded I wanted to climb a tree. The only reason I wasn't in a tree was because I suspected that the Gamemakers had something planned for anyone who did climb, and I wasn't going to take that risk. I could just stay in the water until it proved dangerous.

Each second that passed was both glorious and awful. It meant I was that much closer to finishing, but it also meant everybody who was watching was getting more bored. High noon had already passed and nothing of interest had happened that I could tell. I had to find something exciting to do without killing myself, which was nearly impossible. Everything exciting in the Arena could be fatal.

A perfect opportunity presented itself to me when I saw a snare. A snare meant I was close by another human. While that could be a good thing or a bad thing, I decided to hope for the best and sneak a little bit closer. As I approached I saw a girl who had to be younger than me working on setting another snare. I thought I was a safe distance away from her, so I put my hands up and called out to her. "Hey! Are you alone?" It was a kind of creepy question, but it was what came out.

The girl's head popped up and she whirled around at my call. I quickly noticed that she had a knife and hoped she didn't intend to hurt me. However, she didn't make an approach, instead replying, "Why do you care?"

"I'm all alone, too. I was hoping we could make an alliance. It's kind of late into the Games, but I could definitely use some company, and I could certainly make myself useful." It was pitiful that I had to try and prove my worth to someone as small as she was, but I needed to try it. Two was definitely stronger than one, and neither of us was the strongest competitor.

She stared at me for a while before responding, "I'm Kia. Watch out for snares as you come in. Can you hunt?"

"I'm Rybbon. I can kind of hunt. I killed this huge weasel and ate like a queen, but I haven't seen any of those around lately." I showed her my skin as I spoke. While skins weren't always the most valuable thing to have it around, I kept it with me in case one of the mutts got to close. Kia's eyes widened until I thought they would pop when she saw it, and I assumed she had decided I was valuable. I sat down beside her and tried to help her make a snare, mostly failing but slowly getting the hang of it, for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **Carver Redwood (D7M)**

There were five tributes left. Four more had to die. While I wasn't sure I could win against Ambrose in a fight, I was pretty confident I could defeat any of the other tributes. I was also pretty confident that there were only two killers left, myself included. I wanted to hurry the Games up a bit, and I was sure the Capitol wouldn't mind that. I was on the hunt constantly, never allowing myself to rest except to gather water, and I walked while I did that. I couldn't leave myself unguarded for another second. The previous day's events proved that.

Even though I had been travelling so much, I still had a lot of Arena left to cover. I couldn't go very fast for fear of passing someone who was hiding. I had to slowly spiral my way around the entire Arena, and I had no idea how big that was, past the fact that it seemed to be multiple days worth of a journey. I would need some more of that ever neccesary luck if I was to find anyone within three days. One day would be all it took for the Gamemakers to pick someone off that late in the Games, and I had to make sure that it wasn't me they chose. I traveled as quickly as I could because so many reasons forced me to find someone. Even if I couldn't kill them, anything was better than nothing. A fight would definitely injure my opponent, and while it wasn't the nicest thing to do, I hoped anyone I wounded would get sick like I had. Then they could just die without injuring me too much for me to continue hunting.

Being in the trees wasn't safe, but neither was being in the water. I could easily fall out of a tree and break a bone. I could also get attacked by a variety of mutts in a tree. However, I couldn't travel while being hidden at all in the water, and it slowed me down. I decided to travel through the water, since climbing a tree would take energy I wasn't willing to spend. I also figured I could probably outrun anyone who saw me, since they would be slowed down just like I was. Nobody could run full speed in knee deep water.

Keeping my energy ended up being a good idea when I ran into a tribute who wasn't scared of me. Something snagged my shoulder and shot pain all down my arm. When I examined it, I realized that I had been hooked by some odd weapon. There was a cord attaching me to my attacker, and they seemed to be shocking me. I shouted, more in annoyance than actual pain. They just added pain without any more damage. The heck?!

* * *

 **Norah Mendell (D3F)**

The Games were taking too long. I was getting hungry, tired, and thirsty. My weapons weren't the best for hunting, so I had to hope the Games would end soon and all of my problems wouldn't matter. My hook would allow for a great advantage if I got in a fight, so I hoped someone would run into me. I moved around a lot in search of people, since I knew I could definitely fight half of the people left and was likely capable of fighting the others. I would have to fight like a coward, but that didn't matter to me. I just wanted to win.

Carver was one of the two people I wasn't sure I could win against. Dealing a low blow would be necessary for me to have a good chance, and I took my opportunity. I snuck behind him the best I could while he was hunting and snagged his shoulder. I had rigged up my grappling hook to be electric, and I shocked him as much as I could. Judging by the fact that he remained standing and didn't seem to be in great pain, my weapon didn't work nearly as well as I thought it would. I must not have hooked the battery up quite right.

My opponent turned and saw me in a heartbeat. That was the problem with a hook like mine. As long as I hurt him, he could easily see where I was by following the like that attached me to my weapon. He started coming towards me and I got ready to attack again. I didn't account for the fact that once I had him caught I wouldn't be able to pull my hook away very easily, and as I noticed that fact, I began trying to plan while fleeing from him. If I lost my hook I was dead, but if I wasn't careful I would certainly be killed. I had to think on my feet, but luckily, that was something I was good at.

Attempting to circle around Carver, I maneuvered myself through the trees, trying to stay out of his sight. That part of my plan was hopeless, and I knew it, but I couldn't stop myself from trying. I needed to get to a position where I could unhook myself from him and pull my hook back, but he knew that too, making it as difficult as he could. He approached me and I ran as he did so, fully aware of the desperateness of my situation. As long as he moved towards me I could pull away, but he was found to find a way to stop that sometime.

Carver grabbed onto the rope and pulled it towards him. I tried to rip my hook out of his shoulder at that point, knowing it was unlikely but growing more and more panicked by the second. He adjusted his grip and pulled again, forcing us closer together. I jerked as hard as I could and finally managed to tear my weapon away, but at that point, he had pulled me hopelessly close to him.

I shot my hook at him, but it bounced off harmlessly, unable to get the actual hooks around something so close. He looked down at me grimly and raised his ax, bringing it down on me. I dodged, but there was no possibility of my escape. I shot at him again, hoping to wound him enough that he would leave me alone, but he didn't miss a beat before coming closer to me and swinging his ax again. He didn't miss that time. While I didn't instantly die, I wished I had. That would have been better than sitting there and feeling all my life rush out of me.

* * *

 **5th Place: Norah Mendell- Axed by Carver**

 **Norah was a difficult character for me to write. She wasn't supposed to feel many emotions, which meant it was hard for me to get too much character out of her. It was also hard for me to connect with her, so I could not get her character down. She was very strong and showed a lot of potential, and she made it to fifth with a couple kills under her belt, which is more than a lot of people could manage. She was definitely interesting, and she had a chance at becoming Victor. However, in that battle, I thought a bigger opponent with an ax had a far better chance than someone with a grappling hook. Thank you tracelynn for Norah, who was a strong competitor and actually got a lot of development.**


	63. Slim Pickings

**Carver Redwood (D7M)**

While my battle with Norah wasn't the cleanest fight that I could have had, I considered it a great sucess. I was only three more fights away from victory at most. With a bit more luck than my last travels had shown, it would be less than that, since Ambrose was still around. The Games were quickly coming to a wrap, and the tension was palpable. I considered washing off my ax to make it sharper, but I left it dirty just in case. It was a rotten move, but if I didn't kill my opponent, I wanted to have the chance of infecting them with Norah's blood.

Nothing came to speed me up or slow me down, which disappointed me. I had hoped the Gamemakers would lead me to other tributes, but they were obviously interested in my travels. I couldn't fathom why my searching could be more interesting than an actual fight, but I would have to deal with it. There wasn't anything I could hope to do to make them lead the way, so I would just have to keep spiralling around. I was running low on iodine tablets, so I had to hope to find my opponents fast. I was not going to risk getting sick again if I could help it.

My mentor seemed to notice my dismal situation, and I got a parachute. It had some medicine in it, which I gratefully rubbed on my wound, and a water bottle. I didn't know exactly what the medicine did, but even if it was a disinfectant and nothing else, it was useful to have. The more valuable thing to me was the water, which I took a swig of before tucking it into my pocket. My other water was clean, but it didn't taste nearly as good as the Capitol water. I would obviously preserve my safe water, but it was nice to have a little bit of it to clean out my mouth of the taste of filth.

Something about the ground I was walking across didn't seem quite right. I looked it over repeatedly, trying to figure out what was wrong. I noticed an odd trail of leaves which seemed to be placed very deliberately. Upon further investigation I figured out it was a snare. Naturally, I poked it with a stick, so it wouldn't be a threat anymore. It made the loudest twang I had ever heard when it snapped up, and I realized it was a considerably thought out trap. I pretended to be caught in it and waited for whoever set it to appear. My next prey had been found. I made sure to listen carefully while I waited, since I didn't know where my opponent would come from, but judging by the obviousness of the leaf pile, they probably weren't the smartest opponent. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had come at me straight on.

* * *

 **Kia Steer (D6F)**

Teaching Rybbon how to make a snare was like teaching a rock how to fly. She could not, for the life of her, which was quite literal, figure out how to tie things correctly or even find good branches. After an exasperating effort to show her the correct way to do things, I gave her the task of setting leaves on our set snares. I made the snares and made sure they were loud; she covered them up. I told her to deliberately cover them in such a way that we would be able to see them but animals wouldn't find it too easy. She managed to do that job well, and I was impressed by how clearly hidden it was. It was likely invisible to small animals, but to me it was clear as day.

Loud snares may seem like a bad idea, since it would set people off to our positions, but it made sense to me at the time. Checking all of my snares on a regular basis would take too much time that I could be using to make more snares, and it would be exhausting with how many snares I had set. If the snares were loud, I would know when one went off as soon as it went off. I could spend all of my time improving my trap skills without missing a chance at some food. I couldn't really have missed any chances, since I only caught two rabbits with my snares, but it still worked out pretty well. It preserved energy, if nothing else.

A loud snap alerted me that one of my snares had been set off. Rybbon looked at me inquisitively and I motioned to her that I would investigate while she continued covering snares. I had no idea what I caught, but I was about to find out. I had to be careful in my approach, since it could be human, so I climbed a tree before going very far. I wasn't going to risk fighting something on the ground if I could have the advantage. Having a few knives with me also wouldn't hurt, so I grabbed both of them before going. That turned out to be a great idea when I saw what I had caught.

Freaking Carver was sitting there in my trap. I wasn't going to go close to him, so I chucked on of my knives at him from my perch. It hit him in the back and he whipped around, apparently not caught like I thought he was. _Well frick._ He saw me and narrowed his eyes before racing after me. I tried to throw my other knife at him before fleeing, and it hit his shoulder, but that wasn't very useful when a guy with an ax was chasing me down. My halt before running slowed me down, but I didn't think it was too bad. I almost got away, but he caught my hair and pulled me towards him. Screw long hair. He seemed mournful as he raised his ax with his other hand. I didn't care for his mourning. Dead was dead, whether or not my killer felt bad.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

A cannon went off not long after Kia left me. Kia was one of the weakest tributes left in the Games. While my spot seemed reasonably safe due to the amount of snares surrounding me, I didn't trust it at all. I had likely just lost an ally and her killer wasn't far away. It was time for me to get out of there before he could find me, since I wasn't the strongest tribute left by any means. I couldn't risk staying still any longer. More likely than not Ambrose or Carver was chasing after me, and I was not going to be a sitting duck.

The snares Kia had set should have been hidden. Lucky for me, she was a smart ally, and she had planned just in case this had happened. Neither of us could possibly have remembered where all of the snares were. All of the snares had to be able to be seen easily by humans, and I did my job well. I could easily avoid each and every snare I saw. My ease of flight gave me time to see just how hard Kia had been working. Snares covered the ground, and there were bound to be many I hadn't had time to cover. The nook we had actually probably was safer than running.

While I fled I quickly began to worry. I felt awful about failing Sisal, and there was a chance Kia was still alive. Was abandoning my ally really worth possibly avoiding an attacker? However, I knew Kia was smart. If she was still alive, she would have known why I left, and she likely would have been able to survive on her own. If she killed one of the other two people left, she was actually a threat. The thought that I might have abandoned her made me worry more the more I thought about it, but I felt less guilt as time went on. If nothing else, it was a strategic act that anybody in the Games would have done. I had nothing to be ashamed of, or at least I hoped so.

Nobody seemed to be giving chase to me, and I knew if I kept running I would waste energy and possibly run into someone else. I looked for a new shelter when it was long past noon and I was running out of energy to run any longer. I couldn't breathe at all and I was sore all over, but there didn't seem to be anyone near me for the moment. It was the final three, so I would be herded towards someone soon, but I was safe for the moment. Moments mattered more than I thought they could in the Games.

* * *

 **Kia Steer: 4th Place: Axed by Carver**

 **Kia was a bit like Smudge. She was great to have around, but she was bound to die at some point. I loved her character, and she was a great piece of calmness in the calamity of the Games. She just wanted to have some fun for the rest of her shortened life. She matured a lot during the Games and she ended up being ready to kill, which wasn't what I originally planned but it was pretty awesome. Thank you Red Roses 1000 for Kia, who was a great addition for some fun.**


	64. Soooo Close!

**Carver Redwood**

Kia seemed mad at me when I killed her despite the fact that I was upset by it. I didn't blame her. I would be pretty upset if somebody killed me, too. Her plan was great and I was surprised by how well a kid of her age did. If I hadn't been watching the ground so closely, I would have been toast. I had to watch everything around me at all times if I was to have much a chance of surviving the Games, but that was impossible. I was down to two more opponents. I should have been elated, but I was actually getting quite nervous.

The stab wounds Kia gave me worried me a lot. I used the little disinfectant I had gotten on my shoulder, and I was all out. I knew not to worry at that point. There were three people left. Any more sicknesses probably wouldn't progress that fast. Focusing on other tributes made more sense than focusing on possibilities, and it was exactly what the Gamemakers would want me to do. I got the feeling that they would step in if I got sick. That late into the Games, sickness was boring. Action was the thing to have.

Earlier the Arena seemed huge. There was too much ground to cover, too many places I could miss. At that point, the Arena seemed like it could be walked in an hour. Tributes kept popping up wherever I went. I didn't intend to stop carefully searching the Arena, but I didn't expect it to take as long as I originally thought. People could be anywhere in the Arena, but that meant there were a whole lot of chances for them to be near me, especially if they had the bright idea of moving around and happened to bump into me. That would be perfect.

A shelter was in front of me. It was surrounded by more snares, and I appreciated Kia's work more than ever. She knew what she was doing. All of the snares were easily noticeable, to the best of my knowledge. With that many snares, it was probably deliberate. She wouldn't want to get caught in her own traps. As I looked around I also noticed a bunch of messed up branches. While it wasn't the easiest to track trail, it was certainly something to go on.

The trail was surprisingly straight, but after a while it disappeared. The figure who left if probably took to the trees. I peeked around in the trees the trail was closest to and tried to see anything else that had been left. The flight of the tribute must have gotten a lot more calm at that point, since no more branches were broken. The person disappeared without a trace.

Sighing, I started spiraling out from my new spot. It didn't seem worth it to go back to my spot with how little sign of life was over there, especially with someone who couldn't have gone much farther around. I was bound to run into someone at some point, so I took to spiraling, little by little. I noticed some things after a while, slight scratches in bark or water splashed way too high on trees. It wasn't too much to go off of, but it certainly seemed like something I could follow. I found myself face to face with Ambrose and realized I couldn't have been more right.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

My day after the fight was spend wandering around the Arena, trying to find the other tributes to finish the Games. At first it was four, then three. It was down to two more people at that point, and I was getting worried. That was a lot of kills the other Careers couldn't have been getting, and I was sure it wasn't me. Someone else was on the hunt, which meant they knew they were a contender. Either they were hugely overconfident or they were strong, and somehow, I expected the latter.

People could have been anywhere, and I took the standard approach of spiralling. It took nearly forever, but I slowly made progress. Even if it took me three days per person, which I didn't expect to happen, I only had six more days to deal with. That was unlikely, since at the final two I knew the Gamemakers would force us together for a fight. I just had to hope it was a fight against an opponent I could defeat.

As I walked I thought I heard someone running, but I didn't pursue them. They were likely being followed by someone else, and I didn't want to take the risk of running into both other tributes at once. I just kept spiralling along slowly, hoping that the person's cannon would go off. I refused to admit that I hoped they would die. I began to regret hoping for luck when I ran into the main threat the Careers had noticed during training: Carver. He seemed to be hunting deliberately, and he had an ax. That was a terrible sign, especially for someone who only had a spear.

Relying on my training, I hopped backwards and raised my spear. It was bloody and awful from my fight with Sebastian, and I hoped it would intimidate Carver. That was unlikely, but I had to hope. Sure enough, he didn't seem to care at all about the mass of blood on my spear. His ax was caked with just as much. He raised his weapon at me, and I thought I was doomed from the beginning. Carver was a strong person, and his huge ax was a lot more imposing than my spear.

Carver ran at me, keeping his guard up but moving with surprising speed. I tried to stab him as he got closer, seeing as my spear was likely faster than his ax. He easily dodged and kept running at me, hardly missing a beat. He swung his ax and I dodged for all I was worth, but winced when it sank into my arm. The wound wasn't deadly on its own, but it would affect my fighting, and I could afford that. I looked around for anything more useful than my current weapon and frowned at the grimness of my situation. I was surrounded by water and plants. I would have to fight with something hardly better than a stick.

The fight raged on as he kept coming at me and I kept stabbing from my position. I noticed one plant that seemed to be more pointed than the others and tried to slowly make my way towards it. The slight sharpness the plant offered could be enough to surprise him and throw him off guard for a second, and that second was all I would need. He kept cutting me as I made my way over, but I was alive, and that was all I needed. I stabbed him once with my spear, but he didn't stop before attacking me again. I could tell that my weapon didn't go very deep, but he wasn't going to let me get back at it.

When I finally got close to the plant, I realized exactly what it was. I also realized Carver's apparent ignorance when he rushed me again despite where I was standing. I let him come at me, pretending to be utterly defeated. Careers weren't supposed to do that, but I didn't care. Winning was winning, no matter how I achieved it. I dodged Carver as smoothly as I could when he reached me and waited for his swing to pass me. Once it did I lunged into his reach and shoved him backwards, straight towards the plant I had been approaching

Like I expected, the plant snapped open and closed around Carver. He yelped a bit, but I assumed it was more surprise than terror. I grabbed his ax from his stunned arm so he couldn't cut himself free. The plant had him tightly in its grasp, but I knew it would take a while to kill him. Plants worked slowly. The Gamemakers must have altered its poison, thought, since his cannon went off minutes later.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

Tiredness was ripping at my body and my lungs were burning from my run. I desperately wanted to take a break, to just stop and rest for hours longer, but I heard things coming from behind me. They were far off, but that was only going to last a little while. I climbed a tree hurriedly and hopped away a bit farther before allowing myself the rest of the break I needed so much.

Something was up with what was happening. Whoever was following me stopped abruptly. I didn't expect that my simple trick had messed him up so fully, so I went over to investigate. With any luck whoever was following me was injured and I could finish him off. With how much I had already done to people in the Games, one kill didn't seem that bad, especially when the end was so near. Only two more cannons had to fire before the 18th Games would be over.

My travels didn't take long before I saw Carver and Ambrose duking it out. I hoped that they would take each other out and leave me Victor without a fight, but I knew better than to expect that. I saw Carver tearing at Ambrose and got worried. I would have rather fought Ambrose than Carver. Carver seemed much meaner and harsher than Ambrose, and I got the feeling my death would be quicker against Ambrose if I lost. Ambrose seemed to have a plan, so I kept watching, while I didn't have to. Neither of them could go very far without the Capitol getting frustrated. I had a day, at most, to relax. I took my show as a chance to calm down while a battle raged on around me.

Ambrose lost his spear and I began to freak. I absolutely did not want to fight Carver. Ambrose ducked down and seemed defeated, and I began to expect that he had lost. His dodge made me have a little more hope, and when I noticed the plant he was standing near more hope blossomed. Carver got caught in the plant's grasp, and I finally had something to look forwards to. I was up against a Career, but at least I wasn't up against something like Carver.

* * *

 **3rd Place: Carver Redwood- Shoved into Venus Flytrap by Ambrose**

 **Carver was a surprise for me. I didn't really like him, and I could never connect with him. I tried to kill him way back when I gave him cholera, but a sponsor stepped in and saved him. I must have accepted his strength, since he made it to third. He had a great chance at becoming Victor, but Ambrose was trained his entire life for fights. Some quick thinking was the end of him. Thank you to Snowstar2 for Carver, who was a cool tribute to write, and was something I needed in the Games.**


	65. Finale

**Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

All of my previous emotions were switched as soon as Ambrose won the fight. I made it to the top two. A Career was my opponent. He got an axe. That used to be a good thing, since that meant he would win, but it was awful now that I had to fight him. He was heavily wounded. That stank in the previous fight, since it meant he was losing, but it was great now that it meant I could fight him more easily. I probably had a day before I would be forced to fight him, but I wasn't going to take even that. My break had been long enough. I could fight fine right then.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

The strongest outlier tribute in the Games had fallen. I was the last Career. With any luck, the final battle would be easy. However, in my current condition, I knew I had to wait as long as I could. Judging by the fact that we weren't herded together, though, it wouldn't be long. My opponent was close enough that the Gamemakers knew we would run into each other soon. While I hoped that they were as far away as the Gamemakers would allow, I doubted it. Hope was a bad thing to rely on.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

Ambrose was slowly scanning his surroundings. I pulled back as quietly as I could, knowing that I could afford to be seen. He glanced past me and continued searching. As soon as he was facing completely away from me, I lunged at him. I couldn't run very fast, since I was surrounding by water and was sinking into the mud, but he couldn't dodge very fast either. By the time he noticed me I was halfway to him. By the time he had his ax up I was within reach. I ducked down as he swung at me and got within his swing, happy at my slight victory. I knew it wouldn't last long, though, and Ambrose quickly made sure of that.

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

The girl was even closer than I had expected. She got up to me in an instant and I had to dart backwards to be able to reach her with my ax. Luckily, she didn't hit me before I had time to dodge. However, even the slight movement of jumping back hurt. The fight had to end fast or I would bleed out. I swung my ax at her as hard as I could, but she easily jumped backwards. I didn't know how she could move so easily in water and mud so deep. Each step I took was a difficult task of squelching along, and I didn't have shoes anymore since keeping them on wasn't worth the time. How could she stay so quick?

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

The mud was getting in the way of my fighting. I constantly switched feet in order to not sink in too low. I ran at Ambrose again, getting hit in the shoulder but not really caring. I could still use my arm, and that was all I needed. Getting within his swing again was no difficult challenge, especially when it took him a second to be able to take a single step. I stabbed him with my dagger as hard as I could, but I knew the battle was bound to rage on. I had a dagger. While I would probably win, it would take a while before I could do any serious damage.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

Hitting her in the shoulder was good. It meant she didn't bother with dodging. She was getting too confident, and I could likely beat her. I swung my ax at her, but that time she didn't have to bother with dodging. The handle of my ax collided with her, but that didn't really matter. She would have a bruise, but it was nothing lasting. I abandoned my ax and decided to work with my fists. The ax was huge and slowed me down. My fists were a part of me.

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

When Ambrose dropped his ax I knew I was in a bit of trouble. He sank into the mud more than I did with the ax since he weighed so much. Without the ax he was still heavier, but it wasn't as much. My dagger was likely superior to his fists, but he had training. I would have to end the fight fast. I saw the perfect opportunity as he got into his stance and threw my dagger at him. I wouldn't have time to stab him, but knives fly faster than fists can be raised.

* * *

 **Ambrose Caraway (D2M)**

My opponent wasn't nearly as overconfident as I expected. She took the time to reanalyze the situation and create an entirely new plan when I changed mine. During a normal fight that would be good, since it meant I would have time to attack while they were planning. During that fight it stank, since she threw her knife at me before I had time to respond. It landed deep in my chest, farther than I thought a knife of that length could go. I felt the knife tear through my flesh and could tell that something was terribly wrong. My hands and toes were getting cold, and something felt off. I could tell that the knife had somehow made it past my ribs, while I couldn't tell entirely how far it had gone. That didn't matter. It screwed up my body and my energy was failing me. Falling to the ground, I decided that if I couldn't fulfill my dream of being a Victor I could fulfill an entirely different one. "What was your favorite part of your District?"

* * *

 **Rybbon Marbroox (D8F)**

Winning the fight was a big surprise for me. I thought my knife would likely miss its mark, since I was never to good at throwing. Being asked a question was an even bigger surprise. It took me a couple of seconds before I understood what I had been asked, and when I did, I burst into tears. He wanted to know my favorite part of my District. A monster wouldn't care about that. A human would. I choked out, "Our cherry tree was the best part. I could climb it and be in the blossoms. I liked to watch the sunset." He smiled at me and made a weak attempt to respond, but his cannon fired before he could say anything else. The hovercraft came in an instant, and I tried to pretend I hadn't been crying.

* * *

 **2nd Place: Ambrose Caraway- Dagger to the Heart by Rybbon**

 **Ambrose was a great character. He had a cool personality, and it was nice that he wasn't too serious of a Career. He had it in him to kill, but he still had fun. That was great, and I enjoyed writing it. He died partially because of having to fight two people without time to heal and partially because Rybbon managed to throw the dagger just right. Thank you EverLastingImpression for Ambrose, who was a fun tribute to write.**

 **Victor: Rybbon Marbroox**

 **Rybbon is wonderful. In the beginning it was hard for me to write her well, but I got the hang of her and really began to be able to just write her. I don't even have to look at her form anymore to know what I'm doing. I love her backstory, and she definitely has the possibility for some development. I hope I didn't make my choice too obvious, and I definitely tried to throw some things at her during her time in the Games. She got to be Victor because I thought I could make her a better Victor. Thank you to MRKenn for Rybbon, who was finally able to prove her father wrong.**

 **Ack the Games are finally over! It should just be a couple of wrap-up chapters and then I'll be done with the story.**


	66. Coronation

**Rybbon Marbroox**

Waking up in the hospital bed was a big surprise for me. There was no way I could have won against a Career, even though I had been there while I did it. My brain insisted that it was just a dream, but my surroundings said otherwise. I was covered in thick blankets, and I was sleeping on the softest bed I had ever felt. Hospitals in Eight were stiff and uncomfortable, but I could have stayed in the Capitol's hospital for the rest of my life.

I realized why I was covered in so many blankets when I pulled them down. The only clothing I was wearing was a thin hospital gown that did nothing to preserve heat. I felt a bit awkward knowing that someone had changed me into that, but that didn't matter to me for long. It was either have someone change me into a new outfit or still be in my bloody, muddy Games outfit, and I knew which one I preferred. I quickly pulled the blankets back up over myself just before a hospital attendant walked in. She took my vitals and handed me a mirror before leaving my to myself.

The mirror hung in my hand for minutes before I decided to use it. Some Victors came back from the Capitol looking nothing like their former selves, and I wasn't sure I was ready for such a big surprise. I knew I had to face the facts sometime, though, so I flipped the reflective side towards myself and did an examination of how the Capitol thought Rybbon looked best. The changes weren't too drastic, and I decided that I could live with them.

My freckles popped more than ever, partially because my skin was even paler than normal but mostly because they were brighter red. My eyes were a bit bigger, but only someone who knew me well would be able to tell the difference, and I didn't know why the Capitol had bothered changing them. My hair was brighter red, and it flared out around me like a mane. Luckily for me my body remained mostly unchanged, my legs simply being a little longer. I wasn't sure how off-balanced I would be when I tried to walk, but Ember walking into my room and telling me I had to get up for the coronation meant I would have to find out soon.

Revlon rushed to get me ready for the coronation as soon as I walked into the room. She teased my hair to make it look even more wild, though I couldn't comprehend why. That was going to be impossible to brush out. She went through the process of ripping off any hair not on the top of my head in minutes, which I hadn't even known was possible. She did my makeup, making my lips and eyes look much bigger. She put on a wild amount of eyeshadow, which I thought would look hideous, but it actually looked great. When I looked myself over in the mirror I was a fox. My dress was bright yellow with flecks of red here and there. While it looked like blood to some extent, I assumed it was because they thought just yellow would be boring despite the ruffles and many layers of skirts in the dress. My blue eyeshadow complemented both my hair and my dress perfectly, as well as making my eyes pop from the rest of my face. Revlon certainly knew what she was doing.

"Hello, Rybbon! How does it feel to finally be back in the Capitol?" Marcelene greeted me as I sat down in my spot on the stage. A huge crowd had formed near the stage and there were cameras everywhere, so Marcelene quickly motioned for me to mirror her position.

"It feels so surreal. I thought for sure I would die," I admitted honestly, looking down at the ground.

Marcelene smiled and asked me, "What was your favorite part of the Games? You certainly have a lot of things to remember!"

I didn't have to think for a second before answering that question. Other than my sponsors, there was only one good thing that happened to me during the Games. "I liked it when I allied with Kia. I was worried she wouldn't let me in, but she was really fun once she accepted me. She tried so hard to teach me, and she even joked with me a bit while she tried."

The interview was quickly getting off-topic, and Marcelene recognized that. "Let's watch the recap, shall we?" I nodded and stared at the cameras. I was likely more interested in the recap than the rest of the Capitol. I shuddered when Sisal got attacked in the Bloodbath and smiled at how much fun Simmons and Kia had managed to have. There were a lot more battles than I had expected, and each one shook me up even though I knew who won. When Kia met Carver I cried a few silent tears, grateful that Capitol makeup was waterproof.

Once the entire thing was over President Ginger walked onto the stage, carrying my crown. My crown was made of intertwined ribbons, which the Capitol probably thought was hilarious but I sighed internally at. Half off the ribbons were rainbow, while the other half were black and yellow. It didn't take me long to figure out that the colors represented my allies, and I was happy that the President hadn't gone with a darker theme for my crown. President Ginger smiled at me as she put the crown on my head, and I smiled right back.


	67. Victor Initiation

**Rybbon Marbroox**

When Ember said she had a surprise for me, I didn't know what to expect. Nothing in the Capitol caught my eye too much. Of course, everything in it was glamourous and interesting, but I didn't latch onto anything like some tributes did. I knew what Sisal would have paid attention to; he liked comedy. Simmons would have gone to a toy store, Smudge would have gotten a lot of food and some jewelry. I didn't know what I could want. Ember must have thought hard before she could think of something for me.

Even as I was led to the surprise, I didn't think Ember could possibly have anything good for me. I underestimated her at the time, unaware of how well she had analyzed me. She was a Victor; her only way of survival was being able to read people well. I hadn't known that at the time, so I didn't think she could have a good idea, especially when I didn't have a good idea myself. At the time I didn't know Ember very well at all, only bits and smidges of her personality. At least some Victors, like Elias and Satin, were always predictable. Ember could have decided anything was perfect for me.

The room Ember led me to was full of other Victors. I had no idea what was going on or why I was going to hang out with so many other people. Ember quickly explained to me that every Victor went through some actions to become a true Victor. Not everyone did what I was going to do, but everyone did one thing or another. She also explained that it was a task to think something up for me, but she wanted to do her best, since I deserved it. I smiled when she said it, since I could tell she really cared. Her previous coldness was wearing off, and I appreciated it.

Ember handed me a small square of fabric. "It's for Calico," she explained. "I mentored her, but I lost her. I'm sure you can figure out what it is." It wasn't a hard task to figure out how the fabric represented Calico. It was obviously a calico fabric, and the colors were all bright. It was clear that Calico had been a bright personality in her time. The thought behind the sentiment struck me hard, forcing me to realize that Ember was a person. I finally figured out that Ember wasn't just mean; most kids from Eight didn't return. Most likely, she didn't want to get attached to a walking corpse. It made me a bit proud that I had managed to win despite the fact that she thought I couldn't, but the moment mostly made me appreciate Ember a lot more as a mentor.

While I didn't know what to do with the fabric, I wanted to be polite, so I smiled, took it, and thanked Ember. After a couple seconds of awkwardness, Extravagance came up to me and handed me another square. "It's for Elegance." The fabric was a smooth silk, and its deep red certainly fit the tribute's name.

One by one, the other Victors came up and handed me more squares. Satin glared at the square as she handed it to me. "It's for Emerald, but I don't know why I bother representing her. She failed." I tried not to judge Satin to harshly, since I knew she was a product of her environment, but I didn't like her. She was a Career, after all.

Nero's fabric was a black leather square, which he said was for Slate. Menalaus gave me a pink fluffy square, which surprised me, but apparently it made sense for Ria. Shale's fabric was rough and dark, and she said it stood for Mera. Tellie's square was green and blue, for Ohm, while Alesandro's fabric was just dark blue, for Terna. I took a wild guess that Terna might not have been the normal Three kid, with a fabric as dark and just weird as that. Talaysa's square shimmered gorgeously, and the deep blue was covered with softer blue sequins, for Tilapia. Sol's addition to the pile was blood red, and it stood for Phil. I could only imagine why the fabric was that color, and I didn't want to know the real reason. Doppler's fabric was a mottled color, and it seemed like it was stained, for Tess. Cassia's fabric was awfully scratchy, and it was green, for Ivy. Elias glared at me while he handed me a deep purple color, for Silk. I personally thought Silk was a stupid name for someone from Eight, but that was likely attached to the fact that their fabric was the color of royalty. Bessie's square was white and black, with some fuzz on it, and she said it was for Angus. Harvest's square was a bright yellow with blue speckles, and it was the softest one in the pile. He said it stood for Ire. Cherry's fabric was a soft pink with green specks, and it stood for Moya.

Once all of the squares were handed to me, I understood what I was supposed to do. First of all, I was going to embroider each and every square, making sure it matched its corresponding tribute perfectly. It would take a lot of time just figuring out the exact personalities of each tribute. The texture and color of each square gave me a hint, but only so much could be conveyed over such a small area. The rest would have to be found out be asking each Victor about the tribute, slowly learning about the almost forgotten. That alone could take weeks, but it would be worth the effort. After that I could sew the squares together in a makeshift way to connect me to the Victors, I guessed. Then I could add my own square, for my tribute the next year, and the quilt could just keep on growing, year after year.


End file.
